


Exposé

by emberloey



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Homophobia, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Major canon divergence, Mild Sexual Content, Minor Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Minor Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Minor Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Minor Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi, Minor Miya Osamu/Suna Rintarou, angst in chap 2 related to homophobia, gratuitous use of social media and texting to avoid actual fic writing lol, like just quick blowjobs lol, little bit of world building??, lots of side ships, mild panic attack symptoms, obligatory sexually charged club dancing scene, other ships mentioned but not important enough to the plot to name
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:48:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 36,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28105761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emberloey/pseuds/emberloey
Summary: Bokuto Koutarou, number 12, comes out next, giving high-fives to the coaches and running out onto the court with a bright smile and waves to the crowd. The cheers for him rival the captain’s in the beginning. Akaashi finds himself following his brightly-dyed hair, stark against the black of his uniform, as he runs to join the rest of his team.or: the model!akaashi/pro-volleyball player!bokuto au that no one asked for but i took upon myself to write anyway
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 37
Kudos: 206
Collections: My favorite haikyuu fics





	1. Revelation

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is based VERY LOOSELY on post-timeskip in the manga. i used some of the jobs, took some creative liberty with changing others, and gave other characters completely new ones. just know that this does include heavily implied post-timeskip spoilers, if you know what you’re looking for. i also took creative liberty in the world that they live in and the laws there are, though it is set in modern day/modern time.
> 
> rating for explicit language and mild sexual content
> 
> this is ⅔ regular fic ⅓ social media au and 100% self indulgence

Akaashi hasn’t been to a volleyball game in years. Really, he hasn’t thought about the sport since he was 15, when he decided to quit. He really just… never looked back after that. Never had the time.

 _“Come on, Kei-chan,”_ Oikawa whines. Akaashi winces and pulls the phone from his ear, Oikawa’s tone grating uncomfortably. _“I know you don’t have a shoot tomorrow. Let’s go out tonight.”_

“And how do you have these tickets again?”

_“Iwa-chan put a couple tickets aside for me. Suna’s going too, with Osamu. Another friend was supposed to come, but he bailed, so now I have an extra.”_

Akaashi sighs and holds his phone to his ear with his shoulder while he digs through his fridge for something to snack on. He’s been in and out of the house for shoots, his cabinets are almost empty. He _really_ needs to add grocery shopping to his list.

“I was really looking forward to a night in, Oikawa.”

Oikawa groans. _“Oh my god, come_ on _, Akaashi! I feel like I haven’t seen you outside of work in_ forever. _Please?”_

Nothing. Akaashi lets the fridge door slam shut.

“What time does it start?”

 _“7!”_ Oikawa chirps. _“Suna and Osamu talked about getting dinner before. We can pick you up around 4:30?”_

Akaashi glances at the clock on the oven. Good, he has time to shower.

“Yeah, that works.”

 _“Fantastic!”_ Akaashi can practically see Oikawa’s bright smile that accompanies this particular tone, and he finds himself smiling, too. _“See you then!”_

Akaashi grabs an apple from the bowl on the counter and munches while he wanders through his closet, pulling out a few different options to wear tonight. He lines them up on his bed and has made his decision by the time he’s at the core, so he tosses the apple, puts the rejected options away, and slips into the shower.

He’s just finished styling his hair, is just playing with it, fluffing it a bit, when he gets the text from Oikawa telling him to meet them downstairs. The second he slips into the backseat of the car Oikawa leans across the seat and throws his arms around him with a dramatic sigh.

“I missed you,” he whines. Akaashi huffs out a laugh through his nose and pats his hair.

“I missed you too.”

Oikawa shoots him a dirty look and straightens up, hands immediately fixing his hair. Akaashi laughs and then faces forward.

Suna sits behind the driver's seat and smiles at him through the rearview mirror. “Hey, Akaashi, good to see you again.”

“You too,” Akaashi says with a smile, buckling his seatbelt. Suna pulls away from the curb and joins the flow of traffic. “How has work been?”

“Same old, same old,” Suna says with a half shrug. “You remember my boyfriend, right?”

“Osamu, yeah. Hi, nice to see you,” Akaashi smiles at Osamu who half turns around in the seat to nod his head at him. “Your brother’s on the team?”

“Yep, he works with Iwa-chan!”

Akaashi swats Oikawa’s arm, shooting him a glare. Oikawa clutches his arm and looks at him, eyes wide with betrayal.

“I’m trying to have a _conversation,”_ Akaashi hisses under his breath. “Shut up.”

 _“Shut up,”_ Oikawa mocks. “All you do is bully me.”

“So, Osamu,” Akaashi faces forward again and smiles. Osamu looks fairly amused while Suna just looks resigned, slumped in his seat. “Your brother is on the team?”

“Yeah, number 13. He’s been playing with the Jackals for, uh, three years now, I think. Four, maybe? I can’t really remember.”

“Either way, that’s impressive,” Akaashi tells him.

“Yeah, I’m proud of him, but it’s turned him into kind of an ass.”

“You always say he’s _been_ an ass,” Suna says.

“He has been. It’s worse now.”

Suna rolls his eyes but offers his hand over the center console anyway, and Osamu takes it. Akaashi turns his head to look at Oikawa.

“What are you doing?”

“Calling Iwa-chan,” Oikawa tells him with a _hmph._ “He won’t bully me.”

“He very well will, and you know it. And give me that!” Akaashi reaches across the backseat, grabbing for Oikawa’s phone. “He’s working, he’s _busy!_ He’s got a fucking game today! Oh my god, you’re the worst. You’re so annoying, how does he put up with you?”

“We’re all wondering,” Suna says under his breath. Akaashi laughs and Osamu chuckles softly, and Oikawa sits against the door looking wounded.

“I hate it here.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Akaashi snags Oikawa’s phone and sees that his last message from his boyfriend is from nearly two hours ago, about how he’ll be busy with game preparations for the team and he’ll see him at the game. “Don’t _call_ him, he’ll hate you. Shoot him a text or something.”

Oikawa snatches his phone back and sticks his tongue out at Akaashi before doing just that.

The rest of the drive to the stadium is fairly quiet, and they start hitting traffic once they’re a few blocks out. Akaashi balances his chin on his palm and looks out the tinted windows at all the fans flooding the sidewalks to the stadium.

They drive past the main train station, where fans covered in black and gold are flooding from the entrance, joining the masses heading for the stadium.

There’s an elderly couple being escorted by an official in a neon vest. There’s a group of college-aged kids laughing and yelling, decked out in official Black Jackals merchandise. The next block up there’s a family, a man and a woman and four young kids running around their legs, each in a miniature jersey. Osuma scowls when he sees _Miya, 13_ on one of the little girls’ backs.

“His head never stops growing.”

They pull into a parking garage, passed all the general parking, and Oikawa reaches forward with a pass. Akaashi sees _V.I.P._ printed at the top, and they’re waved through. Suna parks on the third floor, and then they take a side entrance into the stadium.

Akaashi is used to massive venues, what with the amount of Fashion Weeks and extensive cover shoots he’s worked, but Tokyo’s central sports stadium is… something else, that’s for sure. It’s _i_ _ntimidating_. 

They get to sit in a section reserved for VIPs, however it’s not so blocked off that they feel separated from the rest of the crowd. The whole stadium is filling up quickly, mostly with black and gold, but a few sections have red and black as the opponents for the game are the Red Falcons. They have a fair bit of support, but their sections are almost completely overwhelmed by the amount of Jackals fans in the arena.

There’s a larger box above Akaashi’s group with a half-glass balcony opening into the rest of the stadium where everyone is dressed in suits. There are mostly older men there, greying hair and wrinkled features and deep throaty, drunken laughs from the champagne being passed around. Akaashi picks out a few women in pencil skirts and one man stands out, younger than the rest and tall, dark hair messy and falling over one of his eyes. He’s talking to a few of the women and they’re all smiling, fairly carefree.

They match the energy of the rest of the stadium, turning towards the court as the players start making their entrances, names and numbers announced over the loudspeaker. The coaches smile and wave to the crowd first, and then they announce the starting line up for the visiting team. The second they start announcing the home Black Jackals, though, the stadium gets so loud it vibrates.

Akaashi smiles, leaning his forearms against the railing. He does miss it, a bit, now that he’s back. He played a bit of volleyball in middle school, but elected to follow a school with a poor volleyball team in order to focus more on his academics--not that he ended up going to college, anyway, scouted during his final year of school and then he was thrust head-first into the modeling world.

The adrenaline of a good game, of the crowd behind them, and the feeling of flawlessness as the team would work together like a well-oiled machine is something that never really left him.

Oikawa grabs his arm excitedly whenever he catches sight of Iwaizumi in the background of the screen, standing beside one of the assistant coaches and the medic with his arms crossed, watching intently.

“He’s so hot,” Oikawa murmurs fervently. Akaashi hums in acknowledgement.

The captain is announced first, Meian Shugo, number 4, and Akaashi is more impressed than anything at the sheer volume of the stadium as Shugo high fives the coaches hands and runs onto the court. Inunaki Shion, number 6, is next, followed by Adriah Tomas, 9. The two of them get loud cheers, too. Oliver Barnes, number 10, comes out, and Akaashi is surprised at the way he towers over the coaches.

“He’s the tallest on the team,” Oikawa tells him, seeing his face. “One of the tallest in the league, I think. You should see him next to Iwa-chan, it’s so funny.”

Bokuto Koutarou, number 12, comes out next, giving high-fives to the coaches and running out onto the court with a bright smile and waves to the crowd. The cheers for him rival the captain’s in the beginning. Akaashi finds himself following his brightly-dyed hair, stark against the black of his uniform, as he runs to join the rest of his team.

Miya Atsumu, 13, is after that, and Akaashi smiles as Osamu stands and cheers for his brother. All the trash talking, and Osamu certainly looks as happy and supportive and proud as any brother would be.

“He looks good,” Osamu says as he sits back down. “He looks good. Confident. I think they’ll do well today.”

“They always do,” Suna says, leaning his shoulder against Osamu casually. The two stopped holding hands when they entered the stadium, but they remained very close, thighs pressed together on the seats and shoulders brushing. Akaashi doesn’t comment on it. He gets it. Being gay can be hard, and sometimes it’s not something he wants to deal with.

He doesn’t have to worry, though. He hasn’t had any sort of serious, successful relationship since high school.

Sakusa Kiyoomi, 15, comes out next, and joins his team to loud cheers rivaling Bokuto and Shugo. Hinata Shoyo is the last to be announced, 21, and he gives energetic high-fives to the coaches and then to his teammates, beaming up at the crowd and waving.

The two teams split to their respective sides after bowing and shaking each other’s hands, and then there are a few final words from the coaches as the starting line-up take their places on the court.

Meian Shugo takes his place off court, bouncing the ball a couple times before the whistle blows. He serves, and the game begins.

* * *

Akaashi feels himself getting swept right back up into the world of volleyball. He and Osamu, sitting beside each other, talk strategies and point out good shots, and Akaashi loses himself in the game. He stands up and cheers with the rest of his friends, with the rest of the whole _stadium_ , when Sakusa sends the ball flying with an impressive spike, scoring the winning point.

He watches as the whole team runs into the court, piling on each other in celebration as fans chant. Coaches give each other high-fives and handshakes, and Iwaizumi and the other trainers are all laughing and smiling and celebrating off the sidelines.

The executive box above them is filled with cheers too, lots of yelling and clapping.

It takes a while for the two teams to settle down and face each other for the ending bows, and then the Jackals make the rounds of the stadium, bowing and waving to everyone out to support them. They bow a bit longer when they face Akaashi’s side of the stadium, which Akaashi assumes is because of the box above them, and when he turns he sees all the people inside applauding the team as one man, one of the older ones, steps up to the edge and signals them off with a wave and a smile.

Then the team are back to celebrating, jumping on each other as they follow the rest of the staff back to the locker rooms.

“There’s a press conference next, for them,” Oikawa says, scrolling through his phone. “Iwa-chan says he can get us back if we want to.”

“‘Tsumu wanted me to stop by,” Osamu says, standing with Suna. Oikawa glances at Akaashi, who nods and stands as well.

“Wonderful!” Oikawa links his arm with Akaashi’s and tugs him back through the hallway from earlier and through the less crowded ones, presumably towards the locker room.

The whole stadium seems to be buzzing with the hype of the win. It was a close call, at the end there, and they barely missed out on a deuce after being tied 2-2. Akaashi feels like he’s vibrating, as if he’s the one fresh off the court in victory.

Oikawa is talking his ear off, pointing things out, and they wave politely to the people they pass. The hallways are less crowded, but not empty, and they do pause with a few people who recognize them for pictures and to talk about the game. By the time they get to the doors leading to the underground part of the stadium, Iwaizumi is waiting for them with two security guards at the door, four passes swinging from one hand that match the one around his own neck.

He looks up, smiles, and waves them in. The doors slam shut behind them and then it’s much quieter, the general noise from the public drowned out by the air conditioning machines and the sounds of distant conversations flowing through the open hallways.

“Incredible!” Oikawa gushes, latching onto his boyfriend. “Oh, Iwa-chan, they were amazing today! I mean, they always are, but _wow._ Wow!” Oikawa kisses Iwaizumi’s cheek and smiles at the way his boyfriend’s face scrunches up.

“Good to see you again, Akaashi,” Iwaizumi says with a small smile while fighting Oikawa off. _“Knock it off.”_

“Mean!”

“Likewise.” Akaashi bows shallowly.

Iwaizumi hands out all the passes and then grabs Oikawa’s hand as he leads them through the mess of hallways. Akaashi slips his hands in his jacket pockets and walks quietly behind them. Osamu and Suna have a quiet conversation behind him.

They follow Iwaizumi into a side room, and through an open door they can see the team all lined up at a table, microphones and water bottles in front of them and camera flashes going off as they hold their post-game press conference.

“They’ll be done in a few minutes.” A woman in a suit approaches them. A badge is clipped to the lapel of her jacket with the Black Jackals logo on it.

“This is Sato Akasuki, the PR manager for the Jackals,” Iwaizumi introduces them. “You know Oikawa and Osamu already, and this is Akaashi Keiji and Suna Rintarou. They model with Oikawa.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Akaashi and Suna bow, and she mimics the motion.

“A pleasure. Models? Are you under Oikawa’s agency?”

“Yes, we’ve all been working together for a few years,” Akaashi tells her. She gets a thoughtful look.

“Mind if we get you guys a picture with the team? Could be good for engagement.” Sato and Iwaizumi share a look and Iwaizumi shrugs. 

“I wouldn’t know. Can’t see why not, though.”

Oikawa, Akaashi, and Suna all nod.

“Wonderful. I’ll grab the boys when they’re done.” She checks her watch. “A few more minutes. Feel free to make yourselves comfortable.”

There are a few other executives milling about the room, making conversation and Iwaizumi excuses himself to go talk to someone, so the three models stick close to the wall, out of the way. A few families are around, too, little kids and older parents and girlfriends and fiancés and siblings, all waiting for the team to get done.

When the team does finally come in, they’re greeted by a loud round of cheering. Everyone looks exhausted but they’re still smiling as they begin splitting off to greet their families waiting for them. 

Atsumu spots Osamu and drags a couple of the other boys over to say hi.

“Brilliant, man,” Osamu pulls him into a hug and Atsumu laughs, breathless.

“Thanks, thanks. Appreciate you making the trip.”

“I’m just glad I didn’t drive half an hour to see my brother fumble his serve,” Osamu says, crossing his arms. Atsumu’s jaw drops.

He’d missed one serve that night. Tossed it right into the net.

“You’re horrible-” He reaches out and grabs Osamu, yanking him into a headlock and they stumble away from the rest of the group. Suna sighs, shaking his head. Akaashi figures he must be used to that by now.

The two who’d been dragged over with Atsumu look at each other and shrug.

“Bokuto Koutarou, 12,” Bokuto bows.

“Hinata Shoyo, 21,” Hinata echoes.

“I’m Akaashi Keiji, and this is…” Akaashi looks over his shoulder to find Oikawa gone. “Or, uh, _was_ Oikawa, but I think you know him already.”

“Iwaizumi’s boy, right?” Bokuto’s voice drops and he nods. “Yeah. Good guy.”

Akaashi can’t help but roll his eyes. “Yeah. Most of the time.”

Bokuto and Hinata laugh.

“You two played amazingly, by the way. I haven’t been to a game in a long time, it was fun to be back.”

“You a fan?” Bokuto asks before taking a drink of his water. He tilts his head back and Akaashi hopes that his eyes aren’t giving away how he’s taking in the way his body glistens with sweat.

“I keep up with it a bit between schedules. I used to play, though. Not seriously, just in middle school.”

“Why’d you stop?”

“When it came time for high school my parents were pushing for me to focus more on my studies, so it became more of a hobby. One day I stopped and just didn’t start back up.”

“I hear you,” Bokuto says with a smile. “I used to fight with my parents about this a lot, they said going pro was hard and one in a million.”

“But here you are.”

“Here I am.” Bokuto runs a hand through his sweaty hair and shakes his head. “How do you know Oikawa? Do you two work together?”

“Yeah-”

“Bokuto Koutarou, bro, you were a fucking _monster_ today!” A voice rings out. Bokuto turns his head and laughs as the younger man Akaashi recognizes from the box above them, with the dark hair and the suit, comes up and slings an arm over his shoulders. He doesn’t have a pass, but his ID is clipped to his suit jacket with the official volleyball association emblem on it. The man ruffles Hinata’s hair, who looks annoyed and swats at his hand, and then he laughs. Hinata ducks away, wandering off to another group.

The newcomer’s eyes land on Akaashi.

“Oh, Kuroo, this is Akaashi… Keiji, right?” Akaashi nods. “Akaashi, Kuroo Tetsurou.”

“Hey, nice to meet you.” Kuroo gives him a bright smile that would normally give Akaashi reason to believe a stink bomb is about to go off, crooked and mischievous, but he seems kind enough so Akaashi accepts the extended handshake and bows slightly. Kuroo mimics him. “I think we were above you.”

“I think so. You’re an executive?”

“I’m with the advertisers, yeah. It’s a lot of desk work but, hey, free game admission, so I can’t be too mad.”

“Naturally.” Akaashi smiles, feeling at ease. Kuroo goes back to teasing Bokuto, ruffling his hair and telling him how bad he smells and how well he played while Bokuto just continues to laugh, obviously too tired to fight him off.

“Word on the street…” Atsumu sneaks up between them, separating them and throwing an arm over each of their shoulders, “is that some of us are going out tonight to celebrate. You in?”

 _“Hell_ yeah.”

“Of course.”

“Like I’d ever turn down an excuse to get drunk.” Hinata reappears out of nowhere. Kuroo busies himself with trying to smooth out Hinata’s hair again and Akaashi has to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Kuroo has no right to try and fix anyone _else’s_ hair.

“Are we invited?” Oikawa slides up, linking his arm with Akaashi’s.

“The more the merrier!” Atsumu raises both his hands in celebration. “Great!”

“Before you go,” the PR manager comes back, holding a hand up to protect herself from Atsumu, “I want a picture of all of you.”

“The team?”

“With them.” She gestures to Oikawa and Akaashi. “And Suna-san, wherever he went.”

“Yeah, sure. But why, exactly?” Hinata asks.

“It’s not often she asks for pictures like this without a warning,” Bokuto explains quietly under his breath. He takes another drink of water. Akaashi tears his eyes away from the way his throat bobs as he swallows. He's _much_ more attractive up close.

“They’re models with X’ile. It’ll be good for press.”

“True,” Kuroo says with a shrug as the volleyball players look at him.

It doesn’t take long for the team to be rounded up and they all squish together. Akaashi ends up pressed between Bokuto and Meian, Oikawa kneels on the floor with Hinata and Inunaki, and Suna stands beside Atsumu. 

Bokuto’s arm is warm around Akaashi, hand on his lower back.

“Is this okay?” He asks lowly. Akaashi looks up at him and nods. 

“Yeah, of course. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“Whatever _you’re_ comfortable with,” Bokuto amends. “I know I’m sweaty.”

“Modeling is more than just pretty pictures, I’ve dealt with my fair share of sweat,” Akaashi tells him. “This is fine.”

Bokuto presses his hand more firmly against his back and Akaashi finds himself leaning in towards him just slightly.

They smile for a few pictures and then the team break apart, saying goodbye to their families and thanking the executives for coming out so they can shower and clean up.

Atsumu stands on a chair and holds his hands out. “Downtown. One hour. If you know, you know.”

The team laughs and a bunch of people cheer and then everyone’s splitting up. Bokuto waves at Akaashi before throwing his arm over Hinata’s shoulder so hard the poor kid stumbles under him and following the rest of the team out.

“What are we going to do for the next hour?” Akaashi looks at Oikawa and asks.

Oikawa smiles, and Akaashi _knows_ he’s going to hate the next words to come out of his mouth. “Get there early and pregame, of course.”

* * *

**_@xilemodeling_ ** ☑️ _X’ile Modeling Company  
_ _Posted at 9:37 PM  
_ _We love our #MSBYJackals_ 🖤 @MSBYJackals  
_[attached photo:  
_ _From left to right, back row: Adriah, Oliver, Bokuto, Akaashi, Shugo, Suna, Miya, Sakusa  
_ _From left to right, front row: Hinata, Oikawa, Shion]_

 **_@MSBYJackals_ ** ☑️ _MSBY Black Jackals  
_ _Posted at 9:51 PM  
_ _Thanks for the support! Hope to see you again soon!  
_ _Quote tweet: @xilemodeling  
_ _[We love our #MSBYJackals_ 🖤  
_{attached photo}]_

* * *

Akaashi is _not_ drunk when the team gets there. No.

Oikawa certainly is, but he is not. He’s _tipsy_.

Iwaizumi takes one look at Oikawa, sighs, and downs a straight shot with an equally straight face. Akaashi is impressed. He also understands.

“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa sings and drapes himself over Iwaizumi. “Iwa-chan, you took _forever._ I’ve had so much to drink!”

“Yes, I know.” Iwaizumi shoots Akaashi a look, and Akaashi just shrugs his shoulders and takes another sip of his own.

Bokuto, Hinata, Kuroo, Atsumu, and Sakusa, with a black mask on, join them in crowding around the table. Atsumu is holding two full bottles in his hands, and Hinata is balancing a stack of shot glasses.

“Alright, alright, _everyone_ at this table is downing two shots _right now.”_

“Atsumu, _no.”_ Sakusa looks at him with a mix of disappointment and disgust which is somehow clearly conveyed even though his mask covers most of his face.

“Atsumu, _yes.”_ Hinata jumps in. “Pour me _three.”_

“Hinata, no.” Iwaizumi glares at him. Hinata cowers, and Iwaizumi turns his attention back to his boyfriend who is about three seconds from climbing into his lap.

Atsumu murmurs “Hinata, yes,” under his breath as he starts pouring shots.

Oikawa reaches for one that Iwaizumi slides out of his reach.

“Iwa-chan,” he pouts.

“Nope,” Iwaizuni says, taking the shot. “You get water.”

“Mean!”

“Want one? Or are you good?” Bokuto asks as they start passing shots around.

“Bokuto, I said _everyone_ at this table.”

“Shut _up_ , Tsum-Tsum.”

 _“Tsum-Tsum?!”_ Osamu snorts so hard he chokes on his drink, and Suna starts rubbing his back. “Oh my god, oh my god, Bokuto you’re my _favorite.”_

Bokuto shoots him a smile before turning back to Akaashi. “You don’t have to take it. I can take it for you.”

Akaashi raises an eyebrow, knowing a challenge when he sees one. He doesn’t break eye contact as he downs the shot and sets the glass back on the table.

He smiles up at Bokuto. “I got it, Bokuto-san.”

“Yeah…” Bokuto swallows. “Yeah, you do.”

“Oh, are we doing shots?” Another man near Hinata’s height (making them both still a good bit shorter than everyone else) steps up to the table, and Kuroo smiles down at him and tosses an arm over his shoulder. 

“Want one?”

“Two, please. Thanks.” Akaashi watches out of the corner of his eye as the newcomer downs two shots without blinking, and Bokuto leans into him.

“That’s Kenma. Kozume. Kuroo’s husband.”

“Husband?” Akaashi turns his head in surprise. He flinches when he sees just how _close_ Bokuto is.

“Yeah. They married last year, like right after the new marriage law was passed. They’ve been together since high school.” Bokuto looks down at him. “That’s not a problem for you, right?”

“I’m friends with _Oikawa_ , Bokuto-san,” Akaashi says with a sigh. He thought they were past this, but it’s also pretty sweet how protective Bokuto seems over his friends. “Doesn’t get much gayer than that.”

Bokuto straightens up and laughs, full and loud. Akaashi bites his lips to keep from smiling.

“Yeah, okay. Valid.”

Bokuto joins his teammates in taking two shots each for a victorious game, and then he slips off to the bar with Kuroo and Kenma to order their own drinks. Everyone wanders off after that, some to the bar, some to the dance floor. Hinata snags one of the bottles before he goes off from under Iwaizumi’s watchful eyes, taking advantage of Oikawa’s state of distraction.

Iwaizumi catches him, though, and asks Akaashi to keep an eye on Oikawa while he slips out of the booth and elbows his way onto the dance floor.

Kenma, Kuroo, and Bokuto come back and slip into the booth. Oikawa has taken to draping himself over Akaashi in Iwaizumi’s absence, and he gives Bokuto a strained smile as Oikawa lays in his lap, playing with the buttons of his oversized denim jacket.

“Hi.”

“Having fun?” Bokuto takes a sip of his beer, amused.

“Oh, _so_ much fun. Thanks for the invite-- _no.”_ Akaashi slides the bottle across the table and out of Oikawa’s reach. Kenma grabs it and pours himself another shot before continuing to nurse his beer. Akaashi blinks at him for a second.

“We don’t know how he does it,” Bokuto whispers, sliding closer. His thigh presses against Akaashi’s and Akaashi swallows, mouth suddenly dry.

“He’s just so small…”

“Yeah.”

Kuroo sits with his arm around Kenma, a beer in his other hand. He takes sips while watching Kenma scroll through his phone, playing with his long hair. It seems to fall just below his shoulders and is bleached a soft blond. Akaashi is used to seeing a variety of hair colors in his line of work, but he’s not sure he’s ever seen anyone look so natural with that hair color the way Kenma does, even with a good bit of his dark roots showing.

They’re a sight, Kuroo in his suit with the sleeves rolled up and his wild hair and Kenma’s straight, long hair and too-big hoodie, but they’re cute. He can see the natural ease between them.

Kuroo’s wedding ring glints in the lights of the club, left hand wrapped around the bottle, and Akaashi wonders why he didn’t notice the ring during their first meeting. Kenma’s shines when he reaches for his own beer, identical to Kuroo’s.

Akaashi suddenly becomes conscious of how close Bokuto is pressed against him and he takes another drink.

Iwaizumi comes back to the table and puts the bottle mostly empty back.

“They are _not_ my responsibility tonight,” he says with a sigh, dropping into the booth. Oikawa bolts up so fast he almost headbutts Akaashi and Akaashi yanks his head back. He would’ve slammed his head into the wall behind him, but something stopped him. 

He looks over to see Bokuto’s arm cushioning his head, draped over the back of the booth.

“Fast reflexes,” Bokuto says with a wink. “Sorry.”

“No, don’t apologize. Thank you.” Akaashi smiles at him and reaches for his drink only to discover that it’s empty.

Bokuto notices.

“Refill?”

“Yeah, I’m going to head to the bar now that I’m free. Join me?”

Oikawa is back to draping himself over Iwaizumi, who looks resigned to his fate but also not particularly upset about it. His hand sits against Oikawa’s lower back, nodding along as Oikawa tells him an animated story, moving his hands.

Bokuto smiles brightly. “I’d love to.”

They slip out of the booth. Kuroo slaps Bokuto’s ass as they leave.

Bokuto doesn’t even flinch, just turns around and flips him off. Kuroo laughs. Akaashi hears Kenma say, “really? My ass is right here.”

The club is full of people and Bokuto sticks close behind him as they make their way to the bar. Bokuto’s hand lands on his waist and gently steers him towards a less crowded path, and then it stays there. Akaashi doesn’t really want him to let go.

He does, though, when they find a spot against the bar. They’re tight together, Akaashi’s shoulder pressed underneath Bokuto’s arm and a bartender comes up, cleaning a glass.

“I’ll take another.” Bokuto shows the bartender his bottle. “You?”

“Matcha Hai.”

“Put it on my tab.”

The bartender nods and walks off.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“No, but I wanted to.” Bokuto shoots him a smile. “Besides, this is going on the team’s tab, all our names are on it. Or maybe Atsumu’s. And if not, well…” Bokuto’s face softens. “Let me buy you a drink.”

Akaashi swallows. His throat is so damn _dry._ “Thank you.”

“It’s an _honor_ , trust me.”

They fall silent, people watching as they wait for their drinks.

“Okay, I’m going to need you to explain.”

“Explain?”

“That.” Bokuto follows Akaashi’s eyes to see Kuroo tugging Kenma towards the dance floor. Kenma seems reluctant but he lets Kuroo pull him along anyway, smiling just a bit as Kuroo spins him under his arm and then pulls him close.

“Oh. Fair request.” Bokuto finishes his drink right as the bartender comes by with their new drinks, taking the empty glasses. “We all played volleyball in high school together. They started dating, I don’t know, half-way through second year? Been together ever since.”

“Kenma played?”

“Hard to believe, I know.” Bokuto laughs and takes a drink. “Setter. He was really fucking good, though. Really smart.”

“I played setter, too.”

“So you must _also_ be pretty fucking smart.” Bokuto leans one elbow against the counter and smiles down at Akaashi.

Akaashi smiles and averts his gaze, watching Oikawa tug Iwaizumi close and cradle his face in his hands. “Not necessarily.”

“Nah, you are. All setters have to be the smartest and fastest thinkers, you know? The rest of us rely on a lot of instinct, but you guys have to know everyone’s location and know who to serve to in the blink of an eye.”

“Are you calling Atsumu smart?”

Bokuto’s eyes go to their table where Atsumu is trying to balance a full shot glass on his nose. He lets out a shout as it falls.

He sighs. “Fuck.”

Akaashi hides his smile in his drink.

He feels Bokuto’s eyes on him for a few minutes, and when he looks back Bokuto doesn’t look away.

“Need something?”

“I know we just met, but I _really_ feel like I know you from somewhere.”

Akaashi snorts, “nice,” and Bokuto waves his hand. 

“Not like that! That wasn’t a pickup line. Seriously. You didn’t go to Nekoma, did you?”

Akaashi shakes his head. “Fukurodani.”

Bokuto _tsks._ “Damn.” He goes quiet. “Sunnyside Gym?”

Akaashi shakes his head again.

 _“Urgh._ It’s really bugging me.”

“I’m a _model_ , Bokuto-san. You’ve probably seen a campaign of mine, or an ad or something. You’ve probably seen my face a hundred times and not even known it.”

“No, no, I’d remember a face like yours.” Bokuto says.

Akaashi swallows. _Huh._

“Valentino. Spring, 2019.” Akaashi whips his head up. “I got it, right?”

“Yeah, holy shit, yeah. How did you know? That was one of my first big features.”

Bokuto shrugs and takes another drink. “Like I said, I’d remember a face like yours.”

Akaashi holds Bokuto’s gaze. Something seems to pass between them, because Bokuto downs the rest of his drink and then smiles at Akaashi, holding out his hand. “Dance with me?”

Akaashi follows Bokuto’s lead, finishing his drink. He puts his now empty glass on the counter and takes Bokuto’s hand. “I’d love to.”

The second they get out with the group Oikawa is all over Akaashi. “Dance with me, Kei-chan!”

Iwaizumi seems to grasp the situation and he takes Oikawa back, stepping them away a bit. Kenma smiles where Kuroo is holding him, and Kuroo outright laughs, chin on Kenma’s head.

Bokuto takes Akaashi’s arm and tugs him against him, a cheeky smile on his face. “I know models are supposed to be elegant and shit, but you _have_ to know how to get down.”

“What about Oikawa says _elegance_ to you?” Akaashi asks with a laugh. He lets himself lean against Bokuto, feels the alcohol running through his system, and focuses on the music.

Akaashi can feel the bass vibrating in his chest and Bokuto turns him around so they’re facing each other and rests his hands gently on his hips.

“This okay?”

Akaashi hums and shifts closer, resting his hands on Bokuto’s shoulders. He almost curses.

There is nothing but pure _muscle_ there.

The lights shine off Bokuto’s white hair, giving him red, purple, green… and Akaashi thinks Bokuto would look good with any other hair color. The white is good, though. Great.

Sexy as hell.

 _Bokuto_ is sexy as hell, and Akaashi thinks it’s going to kill him when Bokuto’s hands tighten on his waist and he presses his body flush against him.

_Oh._

Akaashi can feel _everything._ The way Bokuto’s muscles flex under his shirt, the heat from his skin. The music is so loud Akaashi can’t even hear his own thoughts, not that he wants to. He just wants to throw everything away for this, right here.

For Bokuto, lines of lean muscle, holding him and pressing against him, to not let go any time soon.

Every move is slow but somehow deliberate. Akaashi, with a flash of courage, presses his hips against Bokuto’s and he feels more than hears his breath hitch, feels his hands tighten on his waist, feels Bokuto rest his cheek against the side of his head.

Bokuto wraps one arm completely around the dip of Akaashi’s back, holding him as close as he physically can. It’s hot, and they’re both sweating, and all the music and the people seem to fade into the background as Akaashi’s senses are filled with _Bokuto, Bokuto, Bokuto._

He’s all Akaashi can think about, all he can focus on, with the way the alcohol is starting to make him dizzy.

Or maybe that’s just Bokuto. He doesn't really know.

Bokuto leans his head down and Akaashi would freeze, would panic if his body could remember how, and he feels the lightest nip against his ear.

_Fuck._

Bokuto does it again, more deliberately, and Akaashi lets out a soft groan, fisting Bokuto’s thin, damp t-shirt in his hands.

_Fuck. Yes._

Bokuto’s nose rubs against his neck, and Akaashi tilts his head to the side. Bokuto’s lips brush against his neck and Akaashi closes his eyes.

Yeah. Yeah, they _have_ to.

“Bathroom,” he whispers. He doesn’t know how Bokuto hears him over the music but he does, because he steps away. 

For a second Akaashi is cold, _freezing_ , without Bokuto’s warmth but then Bokuto’s hand is stretched towards him, and Akaashi takes it without hesitation.

Bokuto keeps a tight grip on Akaashi’s hand as he leads him through the throngs of people, looking for the bathroom.

“Here,” Akaashi says, tugging on his hand. “This way.”

“But it’s over-” Bokuto breaks off with a laugh as Akaashi pulls him down a hallway.

 _Staff only,_ the door reads. Akaashi pushes it open and Bokuto slams it shut, locks it, presses Akaashi against it and kisses him.

_Finally._

Bokuto yanks his jacket down his arms and drops it on the ground and then Akaashi is pulling at his shirt, ripping it over his head before Bokuto crowds him against the door, kissing him until he can’t breathe, and then some.

His head is spinning but Bokuto’s hands on his waist, his hips, his thighs are grounding as he lifts Akaashi and pushes him further against the door. Akaashi wraps his legs around Bokuto’s waist and rolls his hips, getting a groan against his neck from the volleyball player.

Bokuto’s going to leave a mark, with how much attention he’s paying to his neck. Akaashi finds that he’s thrilled with the thought.

The music fades into the background of the bathroom as Akaashi and Bokuto pant against each other. Akaashi tangles a hand in Bokuto’s hair, pulls his head up, and starts kissing him again, letting out soft whimpers against him.

Bokuto’s hands on his thighs tighten and he steps back from the door.

“I can’t believe you’re not worn out from the game.”

Bokuto nips at Akaashi’s neck. “It takes a lot more than that to wear me out.”

Akaashi takes Bokuto’s face in his hands. “That sounds like a challenge.”

Bokuto sets him on the counter. 

“Maybe it is.” And then his hands are on the clasp of Akaashi’s ripped jeans and Akaashi’s response is swallowed by Bokuto’s lips.

Akaashi pushes back on his hands and lifts his hips so Bokuto can pull his jeans down. They end up at his ankles and Bokuto wastes no time reaching forward to palm Akaashi, half-hard in his underwear, and kiss the desperate moan he lets out in response.

“Fuck,” Akaashi’s head clunks against the mirror, _“fuck,_ fuck,” as Bokuto glances up at him and drops to his knees, dragging his underwear down.

Akaashi gasps and his legs jerk when Bokuto wraps his hand around his cock and bites down on his upper thigh. He runs his hand up and down the length, biting and kissing everywhere he can, and Akaashi threads a hand through his hair while the other holds the edge of the countertop.

It’s only after Bokuto has given ample treatment to each of his thighs and Akaashi pulls on his hair, pulling his mouth closer to where he needs it, that Bokuto leans forward to take his cock in his mouth.

Akaashi’s breath hitches and he lets out a soft moan, squeezing his handful of white hair. Bokuto moans around him, hands on his thighs, pushing his legs apart.

Akaashi has never had sex in a club bathroom before. He loves it.

It’s fast, and desperate, and Bokuto works with him, letting Akaashi’s hips set the pace and moving the way Akaashi’s hand tugs him. Akaashi doesn’t realize how hard he’s pulling, and he would apologize if not for the fact that Bokuto just deep-throated his cock like a fucking _pro_ , and then oh, oh _fuck_ \--he’s coming harder than he ever has in his life.

Akaashi falls against the mirror, breathless with a soft “oh _god”_ as Bokuto wipes his mouth and shoots another smile up at him while reaching for the paper towel dispenser.

“Good?”

“Horrible.”

Bokuto laughs, straightening up to kiss him again. He peppers soft kisses along Akaashi’s jaw and neck as he cleans him up, and he helps him stand and tosses the paper towels as Akaashi pulls his pants back up.

He turns around and freezes when he sees Akaashi strip his shirt over his head and toss it back on the counter.

“Are you too hot?”

Akaashi sees Bokuto’s eyes lock on his nippes and he smiles, approaching him.

Akaashi’s hands find Bokuto’s hips, thumbs in the divots, and he pushes him back to the wall. “Your turn, Bokuto-san.”

“You… I…” Bokuto swallows. “You don’t have to.”

“But I _want_ to.”

“Are you sure? You looked pretty good there. I don’t want to ruin your bliss, or anything.”

Akaashi glances down at the large tent in Bokuto’s jeans. “You look pretty good _down there_. If you don’t want me to, I won’t, but you don’t seem worn out yet.”

Bokuto’s lips curl up into a smirk. “I guess I’m not.” He tangles a hand in Akaashi’s hair and tugs him into a kiss.

His hands find his nipples, and Akaashi moans softly as Bokuto’s fingers grab the barbell through his left nipple and tug.

“I should’ve taken your shirt off. These are _hot.”_

“Another time, maybe.”

Akaashi’s fingers work fast, pushing Bokuto’s pants and underwear down to his knees, and Bokuto falls against the wall when Akaashi wraps his hand around his cock.

Akaashi presses close and nips lightly at his neck, runs his tongue over those _cursed_ collarbones, before looking up at Bokuto as he drops to his knees. 

Bokuto is all low sounds and deep groans as Akaashi sucks him off, one hand tangling in his hair. He doesn’t pull at Akaashi at all, seems to be content with him setting the place, just yanks and jerks sometimes when it becomes too much for him.

“Akaashi…” Bokuto’s head thunks against the wall when Akaashi hums around him. “Akaashi, _fuck_ , please.” His hand tightens in Akaashi’s hair. “Please, I’m so _close…”_

Akaashi hums again and tilts his head, taking Bokuto as deep as he can, and the only warning he has is Bokuto’s hand yanking at his hair before he comes down his throat.

Akaashi gives him a minute, holding still until Bokuto goes weak against the wall and then he sits back on his heels, panting.

“Good?”

“Horrible,” Bokuto shoots back with a soft laugh. “Holy _shit_ , Akaashi.”

“I haven’t done that in a while,” Akaashi admits softly, running a hand through his hair as he stands up. He looks in the mirror and makes a face, running his hands under the water from the faucet before going back to try and straighten his hair out so it doesn’t look like he just gave a blowjob in the bathroom of one of the most popular clubs in the city.

“Really?” Akaashi looks over his shoulder to see Bokuto approaching him, pants back on and in place. He comes up behind Akaashi and wraps his arms around his waist, long, lean muscle pressed against Akaashi’s back. He perches his chin on his shoulder. “Not much free time in modeling, then?”

“Sort of.” Akaashi figures that’s as good as his hair is going to get and turns around. Bokuto immediately lifts him back onto the counter and stands between his legs, hands on his thighs. Akaashi lets his hands run down Bokuto’s chest, watching as the muscles quiver and contract under his fingers. “I’m busy, but it’s also hard to find someone who catches my attention enough to want something more than friendly conversation.”

Bokuto grins. “So I’ve caught your attention, then?”

“You could say that.” Akaashi tilts his chin up when he’s prompted and kisses Bokuto again. They keep kissing until Bokuto’s phone goes off and he backs away, looking around the scattered clothes on the floor until he finds it, somehow tangled in Akaashi’s jacket.

Bokuto hands Akaashi his clothes and pulls his own shirt back on, scrolling through his phone with one hand. His lips quirk into a one-sided smile and Akaashi pretends he’s _not_ staring as Bokuto pockets his phone and steps back over.

“Everyone’s getting ready to head out. You ready?”

Akaashi slips off the counter and pulls his jacket back on. He reaches out and tries to fix Bokuto’s hair, to no avail, before shrugging with a nod. Bokuto takes his hand and leads him out of the bathroom.

Somehow they’re not caught sneaking out of the staff lounge, and Bokuto squeezes his hand once before dropping it as they enter the main area of the club again.

The music and the smell of sweat seem to hit Akaashi at once and makes him realize just how tired he is. Bokuto catches a look at him over his shoulder as he’s hiding a yawn behind his hand, and they make their way back to the table.

Akaashi expects some teasing, but everyone seems preoccupied. Oikawa and Iwaizumi are still sitting in the booth, looking notably more disheveled than when they left earlier. Suna is leaning against Osamu’s shoulder, half asleep. Kuroo and Sakusa are slurring their way through what seems to be a very serious conversation, and Atsumu and Kenma come off the dance floor, supporting an _unbelievably_ drunk Hinata between them. Iwaizumi shoots him a dark look and slides a glass of water in their direction, which Kenma takes and forces Hinata to drink before dropping back into the booth beside Kuroo.

Hinata falls against Atsumu, who laughs, and Iwaizumi rolls his eyes up to the ceiling.

“I think it’s time to head out.”

“No,” Hinata pouts.

Iwaizumi raises an eyebrow. “Yes.”

“Yes,” Sakusa says, eyeing Hinata disdainfully. “Yes, let’s go. We’ve got training tomorrow.”

Hinata lets out a long, drawn-out whine and then everyone starts standing up, helping support each other out of the booth and out the door.

Osamu managed to stay sober, and he has one arm hooked under Suna’s shoulders as he walks him towards where they parked, waving to his brother. Akaashi steps away from Bokuto to help untangle Oikawa from Iwaizumi, letting him cling to him instead so they can all go to their _respective_ homes.

Iwaizumi’s hands are firm but gentle as he situates Oikawa against Akaashi.

“I’ll call you tomorrow. Don’t do anything dumb,” he tells Oikawa lowly, who smiles and nods.

“I never do dumb things without you.”

“That’s a lie and we all know it,” Akaashi mutters under his breath, turning his head.

Bokuto and Kuroo are helping Atsumu into the van they’d all come over in, a presumed Jackals staff member behind the wheel. They shove Hinata in next, who Iwaizumi has caught from where he tried to run back into the club, and the three of them force him into the backseat.

Kenma approaches Kuroo and places a light hand on his arm, and then the two are saying goodnight to Bokuto, giving him short hugs and congratulating him again on a game well played. Kuroo pokes his head into the van and congratulates the team on behalf of the association, and then he lays an arm around Kenma’s shoulders. They wave to Oikawa and Akaashi and walk in the direction of the train station, somehow looking as sober as when Akaashi first met them.

Bokuto stands up and makes his way over to Akaashi while everyone else gets situated.

“Oikawa, look, do you see Osamu? Go find him. Go bother him. I’ll be right there.”

Oikawa takes off on unsteady legs but he doesn’t fall over, so Akaashi risks looking away from him to see Bokuto right beside him.

“Get home safe.”

“You too.” Akaashi glances at the van, where there’s definitely yelling. “Good luck with that.”

“Hinata will pass out 5 minutes into the drive. We’ll be fine.” Bokuto brushes some hair off Akaashi’s forehead and rests his hand on his cheek, giving him a brief kiss. It’s so short Akaashi barely processes it.

“Have a good night.” And then Bokuto is climbing into the van that pulls away from the curb, and he’s gone.

Akaashi shakes his head and jogs to catch up to Oikawa, who’s still a few steps behind Osamu and Suna. He pulls one of his arms over his shoulder and helps him stumble across the sidewalk, their car at the end of the block.

“Oikawa?”

“Yeah, Kei-chan?” Oikawa sings.

Akaashi sighs. He has to tell _someone_ , and there’s a fair chance Oikawa won’t remember any of this in the morning. “I hooked up with Bokuto-san.”

Oikawa leans his head back and lets out a bright laugh. “I _knew_ you were going to say that! Did you get his number?”

Akaashi freezes. _Shit._

_That’s_ what he forgot to do.

* * *

**_New follow notifications:  
_ ** _@akaashikeiji_ ☑️ _has followed @bokutobeam_ ☑️ _, @sunshinehinata_ ☑️ _, @sakusaomi_ ☑️ _, @atsumu4u_ ☑️, _and 4 others  
_ _@bokutobeam_ ☑️ _has followed @akaashikeiji_ ☑️ _back  
_ _@bokutobeam_ ☑️ _has followed @sunasunasuna_ ☑️ _and @kingoikawa_ ☑️ 

**_@bokutobeam_ ** ☑️ _Bokuto Koutarou  
_ _Thanks again for all the support at tonight’s game!! Hope no one’s celebrations got too out of hand_ ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)

 ** _@sunshinehinata_** ☑️ _Hinata Shoyo  
__Nothing better than winning a home game!!! Thanks for coming out!! Can’t wait to beat @kageyama20 ‘s ass next week when we play the #schweidenadlers!_

 ** _@kageyama20_** ☑️ _Kageyama Tobio  
__@sunshinehinata Bold words from someone who’s only 172 cm._

 **_@sunshinehinata_ ** ☑️ _Hinata Shoyo  
_ _@kageyama20 Bold words from someone whose jumps peak at 328 cm._

 **_@sunshinehinata_ ** ☑️ _Hinata Shoyo  
_ _@sunshinehinata HELP HE BLOCKED MEAKJDHFLA_

 **_@atsumu4u_ ** ☑️ _Miya Atsumu  
_ _@sunshinehinata Deserve_ ❤️

* * *

The sun is too bright. It’s _way_ too early to be up, but after years of early schedules Akaashi’s body is conditioned to be up by nine, so he rolls over with a sigh and fumbles for his phone on the nightstand.

He squints at his phone, the faint echoes of a hangover behind his eyes, but it’s nothing too bad so he goes about scrolling through his notifications. A few from his manager and his agent about how the picture is circulating from last night, getting more interaction from both fanbases, his mom checking in, and an unknown number.

Oh no.

Akaashi has dealt with his fair share of entitled fans, finding out his phone number and texting him, trying to find out where he lives. The weird ones act like they’ve been friends for years, spamming him with memes. The creepy ones want him to respond with his address and answer uncomfortably personal questions.

He moved into this apartment just a few months ago after one such encounter.

The message is relieving, though.

 **From: [unknown number]  
** **4:43 AM  
** _Hi, it’s Bokuto! Remember me, from the bathroom_ 👋 ≧◉ᴥ◉≦   
_I realized I forgot to get your number last night, so I harassed Atsumu to get it from Osamu who got it from Suna!! I hope that’s okay!!_

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **9:19 AM  
** _That’s more than fine! I was going to do the same thing, you just beat me to it.  
_ _Did you make it home okay last night?_

Akaashi decides to go ahead and get up, and he drags himself into the shower. Too tired last night, he just washed his face and collapsed in bed at a time that must have been _hours_ before Bokuto went to sleep. He washes up now and then throws his sheets in the washer, letting the cycle run as he eats breakfast. 

By the time Bokuto gets back to him, Akaashi has re-made his bed and had a short phone meeting with his manager, getting updates about his schedule for the next week.

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **2:03 PM  
** _You were up so early!! How!! I’m so hungover I want to die!!_

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **2:15 PM  
** _I guess I handle my alcohol well haha. And I had to get used to being up early, the habit just stuck :(( I miss sleeping in for sure!!_

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **2:17 PM  
** _Do you get enough sleep usually??_

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **2:18 PM  
** _It depends, really. My schedule can be pretty chaotic sometimes, especially during fashion weeks and travel days. I go to bed early when I can._

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **2:22 PM  
** _Sorry for keeping you out so late last night_ (╥﹏╥)

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **2:26 PM  
** _Don’t worry about it, I had fun!! It was nice getting to have a big change in my schedule that wasn’t anything work related.  
_ **2:27 PM  
** _It was nice meeting new people too_ 👀

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **2:29 PM  
** **👀 👀 👀 👀  
** _I had a lot of fun with you last night Akaashi!!  
_ _Not just the bathroom thing either lol_

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **2:32 PM  
** _“thing” lol_

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **2:33 PM  
** _Do you want me to just say you sucked my brain out through my dick then?_

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **2:35 PM  
** _It’s nice to hear_ 💅

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **2:36 PM  
** _Okay I had a lot of fun with you last night including, but not limited to, the part where you sucked my brain out through my dick_ 🤩

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **2:39 PM  
** _Well, I also had a lot of fun with you last night including, but not limited to, sucking your brain out through your dick_ 🤩 🤩 🤩

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **2:52 PM  
** _WAIT SORRY WE’RE HAVING A TEAM MEETING AND THEN I HAVE PRACTICE  
_ _Can I text you after??_

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **2:53 PM  
** _Of course, have fun.  
_ _Don’t get hit in the head with a ball._

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **6:27 PM  
** _AKAASHIIIIIII YOU JINXED ME_ 😭 😭 😭 😭  
_HINATA HIT ME  
_ _Brb I’m going to go kiLL HIM_

* * *

Bokuto quickly becomes a staple to Akaashi’s days. Nearly two weeks after their initial meeting, they’re texting daily, sending pictures of meals or locations, or, in Bokuto’s case, funny pictures and videos of the team. It’s refreshing texting him between shoots and when he gets home. Akaashi keeps up with the team, too, through their twitter accounts, and he gained a bunch of new followers because of his engagement with the team and the various players online.

He, along with Suna and Oikawa, have become open supporters of the Black Jackals, much to the excitement of most of the team. Scrolling through his timeline has quickly become a favorite pastime of his, in the morning or waiting around on sets.

 **_@bokutobeam_ ** ☑️ _Bokuto Koutarou  
_ _Posted at 3:47 AM  
_ _Is there a difference between cabbage and lettuce or are we all just blindly hearing these different names and assuming they’re not the same, when in fact they’re both just paper water?_

 **_@sunshinehinata_ ** ☑️ _Hinata Shoyo  
_ _Posted at 3:51 AM  
_ _@bokutobeam YOU’VE RUINED ME. PAPER WATER._

 **_@atsumu4u_ ** ☑️ _Miya Atsumu  
_ _Posted at 3:52 AM  
_ _@bokutobeam bro what the fuck there’s a difference  
_ _[attached screenshot of a google search that reads: “_ _Both of them have many layers of leaves. However, cabbage is tougher and contains less water content than lettuce. Lettuce is known for being crunchy that is why it is added in salads or burgers. Cabbage leaves have a strong odor and taste, while lettuce leaves are odorles_ _s.”_ _]_

 **_@bokutobeam_ ** ☑️ _Bokuto Koutarou  
_ _Posted at 3:55 AM  
_ _@atsumu4u idk seems fake_

 **_@atsumu4u_ ** ☑️ _Miya Atsumu  
_ _Posted at 3:56 AM  
_ _@bokutobeam idk u seem like an idiot_

 **_@sunshinehinata_ ** ☑️ _Hinata Shoyo  
_ _Posted at 4:21 AM  
_ _I’m never going to stop thinking about this  
_ _[Quote tweet: @bokutobeam  
_ _Is there a difference between cabbage and lettuce or are we all just blindly hearing these different names and assuming they’re not the same, when in fact they’re both just paper water?]_

 **_@kageyama20_ ** ☑️ _Kageyama Tobio  
_ _Posted at 7:21 AM  
_ _@sunshinehinata BOKE HINATA FUCKING BOKE_

 **_@capmeian_ ** ☑️ _Shugo Meian  
_ _Posted at 8:28 AM  
_ _@bokutobeam @atsumu4u @sunshinehinata Don’t make me take your phones away before bed. I will._

Akaashi smiles down at his phone as he scrolls through his timeline. The makeup artist taps his chin and Akaashi puts his phone in his lap and tilts his chin up, meeting his own eyes in the mirror. She swipes a pale shadow on his eyelids, all the way above his brow, and when she turns to grab another one she tells him she can’t find it, and she’ll be right back. 

Akaashi’s phone buzzes and he takes advantage of his short break to check.

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **2:32 PM  
** _He made us run SO. MANY. LAPS.  
_ _[attached image: Bokuto, Hinata, and Atsumu, sweaty and collapsed on the floor in their practice clothes. They look exhausted. Atsumu is in the middle of pointing his finger and yelling at someone behind the camera. Bokuto is face down on the gym floor, and Hinata is laying with his head on Bokuto’s back, eyes closed and hands folded over his chest.]  
_ _SAKUSA TOOK A PIC OF US BC HE COULDN’T STOP LAUGHING HE’S SO FAKE._

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **2:35 PM  
** _Paper water??  
_ **From: Bokuto-san  
** **2:36 PM  
** _I will not elaborate on the associations my brain makes. Hinata gets me._

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **2:36 PM  
** _I’m sure he does._

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **2:37 PM  
** _Anyway!!!  
_ _What are you up to??_

The stylist returns and Akaashi straightens up, closing his eyes and tilting his head back. The brush moves rhythmically across his eyes, almost in time with the incessant buzzing of his phone in his lap.

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **2:40 PM  
** _Akaaaaaashiiiiiiiii :((((  
_ _Where’d you go :((((((((  
_ _Akaashi  
_ _Akaaashiiiiii  
_ _Akaashi Akaashi Akaashi_

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **2:48 PM  
** _Sorry, I’m getting ready for a shoot. I’m in makeup right now, so texting is hard._

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **2:53 PM  
** _Sorry!! I can leave you alone if you want??_

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **2:56 PM  
** _No, it’s fine. I’ll just be slow to respond. This makeup look is kind of taking a while, apparently the director made some last minute changes._

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **2:57 PM  
** _Ohhhhhh what’s the look!!_

Akaashi waits until the makeup artist wanders off again to pull his camera up. He leans close to the bright mirror and angles his head, taking a quick picture. The look reminds him of something out of that popular HBO show he and Oikawa binged one weekend, _Euphoria._ There was a lot of painting. His cheeks are cut in with contouring, and there’s a light, shimmery shadow highlighting above his brows and down his nose. The main focus, though, are the multi-colored tears painted to fall from his eyes. The main color is a soft lilac, highlighted by a vibrant gold and a sheer silver for extra sparkle. His lashes are dark, and dark eyeliner is winged thickly with the point just barely outside of where his eye socket is.

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **3:01 PM  
** _Apparently the theme is something about “overdone”  
_ _[image attached]_

Akaashi watches the little typing bubble on his screen appear and disappear for a good five minutes.

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **3:08 PM  
** _Bokuto-san?_

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **3:09 PM  
** _Sorry  
_ _You’re just really beautiful, Akaashi.  
_ _I wasn’t expecting that.  
_ _Wow.  
_(っ❤◡❤)っ 

Akaashi smiles as he types out his response.

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **3:10 PM  
** _Thank you, Bokuto-san.  
_ _You’re not so bad yourself._

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **3:11 PM  
** **（っ＾▿＾）❤  
** _Thank you Akaashi!!_

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **3:15 PM  
** _They’re calling us to set, I have to head out. I’ll check in with you later?_

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **3:15 PM  
** _Sure thing! Break a leg! <3 _

* * *

When Akaashi gets done and gets cleaned up, he sees that he has one unread message thread from Bokuto.

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **4:12 PM  
** _I know you’re busy but I just  
_ _I have to say this  
_ _I have to ask.  
_ _Before I lose my nerve :((  
_ _Do you want to get dinner with me??  
_ _Like as a date.  
_ _I’m asking you out on a date, Akaashi._

* * *

Akaashi waits until he’s home to respond, spending the drive back to his apartment with his manager in quiet contemplation.

_Damn it._

Normally Bokuto spams Akaashi’s phone with texts and pictures from practice while he’s busy or at strange hours of the morning while Akaashi is asleep. This time, though, Bokuto doesn’t send any other messages.

Akaashi feels heavy as he walks inside, putting his shoes in the rack in the genkan and shuffling into his slippers to wander into the kitchen.

He only makes it about as far as the couch, though, and he falls stomach-down on it with a sigh. He groans into the pillow, dropping his phone on the floor.

_Shit timing._

Eventually he picks his phone up and types out a response, skimming back over it twice before sending it.

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **6:32 PM  
** _I’d love to, really. But I can’t right now._

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **6:35 PM  
** _That’s okay, I totally understand! We can stay friends though, right?_

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **6:36 PM  
** _Yes of course!!  
_ **6:37 PM  
** _I’m sorry I really want to say yes :((_

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **6:39 PM  
** _What’s stopping you?? Dating not allowed in your contract??_

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **6:40 PM  
** _No, nothing like that. I’m just always so busy :/ relationships are hard with how much I travel. My last one ended really…  
_ _Messy.  
_ _It fucking sucked.  
_ _I know I’m super busy and I don’t have much free time, and that wouldn’t be fair to you._

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **6:43 PM  
** _I’m really sorry to hear that, Akaashi :(  
_ _I feel you, on the busy part though. We’re traveling almost every other week for away games and practice matches with other teams, and endorsements and things. You aren’t the only one in and out of Tokyo._

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **6:45 PM  
** _You sound like you have a very limited amount of free time. You still wanted to ask me out??_

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **6:46 PM  
** _I think you’d be worth it. Nothing has to change, though, if you don’t want it to._

Akaashi puts his phone on the table and screams into the pillow.

_You’d be worth it._

He’s not. Akaashi isn’t worth it. Is he?

It wouldn’t really be fair to do that to Bokuto. To _either_ of them. Akaashi’s so busy all the time, traveling regularly, especially when the big fall and spring collections come out. And Bokuto’s right, the team is traveling constantly, too. Their time together would be limited at best, especially in the beginning with Bokuto right in the middle of the pro season.

The last time someone said they understood, they didn’t realize just what they were getting themselves into by committing to Akaashi. It ended badly. And Akaashi doesn’t want to lose Bokuto the same way.

_You’d be worth it._

Why did he have to say that?

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **6:48 PM  
** _I’ll tell you what. I’m flying out tomorrow with Suna and Oikawa for the big fashion weeks. We’ll be out for a month, mostly in Europe. This is the busiest my schedule gets. If at the end of the month you still feel the same, ask me again._

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **6:51 PM  
** _Waiting a month? For you?  
_ _Absolutely._

* * *

The first week passes in a whirlwind. They start in New York, as usual, and the time change absolutely _ruins_ the three Japanese models. 13 hours apart, Akaashi is heading to bed as Bokuto rises in the mornings for his early trainings. Despite Bokuto being up abnormally late, not going to bed until Akaashi’s mid-mornings or early afternoons, Akaashi is so busy that he leaves Bokuto’s texts unanswered for hours at a time, so that he’s not replying until long after Bokuto’s gone to bed.

It’s nice knowing that Oikawa and Suna are both in the same boat. Oikawa’s texting Iwaizumi constantly, so much so that their travel manager has multiple times threatened to take his phone backstage so he can focus. Suna is quieter about it, but still he’s on his phone much more than he usually is when they’re home.

Akaashi spends his days traveling around, running to show after show after show. His busiest day in New York is 10 shows in a row, and his face is exhausted and dirty at the end from all the makeup applied, removed, and then reapplied. His feet are aching, and he takes the fastest shower of his life before shooting Bokuto a quick goodnight text and passing right out, only for his alarm to go off at 5 the next morning, giving him a whopping four-and-a-half hours of sleep.

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **5:42 AM  
** _Akaashi, you’re already up_ ⁀⊙﹏☉⁀  
_You just went to sleep!!_

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **5:45 AM  
** _Told you I’d be busy lol  
_ _Yesterday was my busiest day, and I think my internal clock finally switched over to New York time, so the exhaustion was AMPLIFIED. I’m finishing a bit earlier today._

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **5:47 AM  
** _Good!! Good, you need lots and lots of sleep!!_

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **5:54 AM  
** _That’s certainly the plan.  
_ _I haven’t been on twitter at all yet, how’d the game last night go??_

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **6:02 AM  
** _Great!! We won!!_ ᕙ(`▿´)ᕗ

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **6:07 AM  
** _AHHHH congratulations!!_

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **6:09 AM  
** _Thank you, Akaashi <3 _

**To: Bokuto-san  
** **6:27 AM  
** _Wait I’m sorry we just got to the venue, I have to go :(( I’ll try to text you later??_

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **6:28 AM  
** _Whenever you’re free!! Break a leg, Akaashi!!_

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **6:58 AM  
** _Oikawa told me to tell you to say hi to Iwaizumi. Our manager had to take his phone bc he wouldn’t get off of it and focus. I am but a messenger pigeon._

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **7:00 AM  
** _I don’t think I’ve ever seen Iwaizumi look so soft as when he said “tell him I said hi and to do well today” that was HORRIFYING I need to go bleach my eyes RIGHT NOW_

* * *

**_@akaashikeiji_ ** ☑️ _Akaashi Keiji  
_ _Posted at 10:13 AM (London Time)  
_ _No amount of distance can keep us from supporting our team!! Good luck tonight, @MSBYJackals!! Sending love and support from London!!  
_ _[attached image: Suna, Akaashi, and Oikawa, English breakfast food on a table behind them with someone’s laptop hooked up to a TV screen, the Jackals’ game showing on the screen during Sakusa’s serve.]_

 **_@kingoikawa_ ** ☑️ _Oikawa Tooru  
_ _Posted at 11:35 AM (London Time)  
_ _WHAT A GREAT GAME!! Congrats, @MSBYJackals! So glad we all had the morning off to be able to tune in!!_

 **_@MSBYJackals_ ** ☑️ _MSBY Black Jackals  
_ _Posted at 11:52 AM (London Time)  
_ _Thanks so much for tuning in!  
_ _[Quote tweet: @kingoikawa  
WHAT A GREAT GAME!! Congrats, @MSBYJackals! So glad we all had the morning off to be able to tune in!!] _

**_@bokutobeam_ ** ☑️ _Bokuto Koutarou  
_ _Posted at 12:03 PM (London Time)  
_ _Appreciate you guys taking time out of your busy schedules to check the game out!! Good luck to all of you out there today!! @akaashikeiji @sunasunasuna @kingoikawa_

 **_@sunshinehinata_ ** ☑️ _Hinata Shoyo  
_ _Posted at 12:15 PM (London Time)  
_ _@kingoikawa don’t trip!!_

 **_@kingoikawa_ ** ☑️ _Oikawa Tooru  
_ _Posted at 12:16 PM (London Time)  
_ _@sunshinehinata CHANGE UR NAME U SNAKE U JUST JINXED ME BLOCKED AND REPORTED_

* * *

**@MSBYJackals** ☑️ _MSBY Black Jackals  
_ _Posted at 9:47 PM (Tokyo Time)  
_ _Can’t win them all! As always, thanks to everyone for tuning in and showing your support! The team, coaches, and staff appreciate it! Be safe going home, and we’ll see you next time. #MSBYJackals #keepfighting #comebackstronger_

* * *

Akaashi throws his bag down, glancing at his phone again.

Bokuto still hasn’t replied.

Akaashi knows he’s frustrated, knows the whole team is. _Three_ deuces over the whole 5 match game, it was almost disastrously long. Both teams were playing to exhaustion, making mistakes that never would’ve been made had the game not continued the way it did. They fought, and kept fighting, and it would’ve gone to the Jackals had their opponent’s ace not spiked the ball straight through the block wall consisting of Bokuto, Hinata, and Meian.

Bokuto usually replies fast, and Akaashi is worried about him.

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **5:30 PM  
** _Bokuto-san??  
_ **5:34 PM  
** _Sometimes it can’t be helped. You all played amazingly.  
_ _You especially._

Akaashi had watched the game highlights with Oikawa on their way home from their last Milan show for the night. They saw the final fumbles on both teams. They saw Hinata stomp the gym floor when he served the ball into the net on their side. They saw Atsumu set too far, costing them a point. They saw Meian calling encouragement to the team, despite him being hunched over with his hands on his knees, wiping sweat from his eyes and running a hand through his hair, shaky and unconvincing.

They saw the entire team crumple, half of them falling to the ground in defeat when the other team scored the winning point and ran to each other in the middle of the court, celebrating. Hinata hid his face in his hands. Bokuto slammed his fist against the floor. Atsumu kept running his hands through his hair, shaking his head. Inunaki laid on his back, arms folded over his head as his chest heaved.

The camera panned to the coaches, looking disappointed but still proud, watching the team with their arms crossed. Iwaizumi sat in the corner of the frame on the bench, elbows on his knees and face in his hands.

The big volleyball association was shown too, still cheering for the other team, though Akaashi caught a bit of lethargy in Kuroo’s applause in the half-second he appeared on the screen. His face was less of a smile and more of a grimace, too forced to be genuine, worried for his friend.

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **5:41 PM  
** _I’ll leave you alone, I’m sorry. I’m just worried. Let me know you’re okay? Please?_

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **5:58 PM  
** _Sorry, we had a longer meeting after the press and the coaches with Meian. I’m fine.  
_ _Just tired.  
_ _I’m going to grab a shower._

Akaashi knows Bokuto showers at the stadium in the locker rooms after games, but he probably needs the extra time to cool down.

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **6:00 PM  
** _Okay. Let me know if there’s anything I can do._

Akaashi takes a shower, too, washing off leftover makeup and scrubbing product out of his hair. He’s just changed into fresh, comfy clothes of an oversized hoodie and a pair of socks when his phone chimes.

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **6:27 PM  
** _Can we just talk for a bit? I could use a distraction.  
_ _Unless you’re too tired. I’m sure it was a long day for you.  
_ _I can just go to bed._

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **6:28 PM  
** _No, that’s okay. I’m here.  
_ _I was about to make dinner, though.  
_ _Can I call you?_

 **From: Bokuto-san  
** **6:29 PM  
** _I’m not very fun to talk to right now._

 **To: Bokuto-san  
** **6:29 PM  
** _I’ll do the talking. Is that okay?_

Akaashi’s phone rings a few seconds later with a video call and he answers.

Bokuto is lying stomach-down in his bed, pillow between his head and his arms. He’s shirtless, a blanket pulled up just under his shoulders and hair still wet and flat from his shower. He props his phone against something and curls his arms under his pillow.

“Hi,” he says softly. His smile is barely there.

“Hey, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi says gently. “Good shower?”

Bokuto sort of shrugs. His eyes are glassy and half-open. He sniffles and curls into the pillow.

“Want me to talk?”

Bokuto sighs and nods.

There’s a small kitchenette in Akaashi’s hotel room and he pulls leftovers from lunch with Suna out of the mini-fridge, transferring the pasta onto a plate and setting it in the microwave.

“Hm, let’s see…” Akaashi sits down on the floor, anxious to get off his feet after his day, and props his phone on his knees. “Oh, oh, I’ve got it. You’ll like this. Oikawa’s a fucking _idiot…_ ”

Akaashi tells him every story he can think of. He tells him the gossip he shared with one of the Chinese models in the Louis Vuitton show, getting half the story seconds before he got on the runway and getting the rest after he got off, the Chinese model having walked right behind him.

Who was caught making out in a closet at last night’s afterparty. How drunk _Suna_ got, of all people, with Oikawa laughing while helping keep him upright as the three caught a cab back to their hotel.

How he was _running_ through the main venue earlier, because his last show finished late so he almost missed walking in the next one, having his makeup done as he literally stood in the lineup to walk. Akaashi _still_ can’t believe he made it to the show in the end and managed to walk.

“I was… oh, gods, Oikawa was laughing when he met me backstage so we could leave together. I tried to not look tired, or like my manager and I had just run like 3 blocks to get there, because all the roads get closed down, you know, and I got off the runway and was like ‘I need a nap or a drink right the fuck now,’ holy shit Oikawa is such an _ass._ He said I looked like a meerkat, or something, I don’t know how he got that. Apparently my eyes were really wide, and I held my breath while I walked so I wouldn’t be panting.” Akaashi laughs and then covers his mouth as he yawns. “It was so embarrassing. I haven’t been that stressed since I did my first fashion week, and I had maybe _half_ as many shows.”

Bokuto chuckles softly, and Akaashi looks at him with a soft smile. His eyes are clearer. They’re still drooped, but more with exhaustion than sadness now. His smile is more genuine.

“Tired?” Bokuto asks. Akaashi nods as he yawns again. “What time is it for you?”

“It’s, uh…” Akaashi squints at the clock and then sighs. He grabs his glasses off the table by the armchair where he’d sat down to eat and puts them on, looking at the digital clock beside the bed. “Shit, it’s a little past 8. Isn’t it really late for you?”

Akaashi looks at Bokuto, who’s just staring at him, looking a little more awake than he had. “Bokuto-san?”

“Oh. Hi, sorry. Sorry, it’s just…” Bokuto trails off and props his head against his fist, sitting up a bit more in the bed. The blanket falls to the curve of his waist and Akaashi’s eyes fall to Bokuto’s deep collarbones for a moment, mind wandering to when he’d nipped them and marked them in the club, before he looks back at Bokuto’s face. He doesn’t let his eyes drop any lower. He focuses.

“Your glasses.”

“What? Oh, oh yeah.” Akaashi clears his throat and reaches up to take them off. “I can’t wear them when I model, so I basically live in contacts. My eyes get dry after shows, though, so I took them out-”

“Don’t take them off!” Bokuto says. He relaxes, and Akaashi drops his hand really slowly back into his lap. “Sorry. You just… you look. Really good with them on. Yeah. _Really_ good.” Bokuto licks his lips. “Kind of sexy.”

“You into librarians, Bokuto-san?”

Bokuto laughs fully, head falling back as the laugh echoes around his room and through Akaashi’s speakers.

“So what if I am?”

Akaashi shrugs. “I don’t know. Just curious, I guess.”

Bokuto lays back down, curling his arms under the pillow again. He looks so soft.

Some of his fringe is caught on his eyelashes, and Akaashi wishes he was there to push it out of the way, to run his fingers through Bokuto’s hair and scratch his head until he falls asleep.

It’s been 3 weeks. Akaashi wonders if Bokuto still feels the same way.

“I’ll be home in, uh, 10 days, I think? I’m almost done.”

“I can’t wait to see you again,” Bokuto says softly. He sounds so genuine. Akaashi averts his eyes and covers his face with his hands, _knowing_ he’s blushing. The fond look on Bokuto’s face just confirms it.

Akaashi is pretty sure Bokuto still feels the same way.

“Neither can I,” he admits.

Bokuto’s smile widens, and then he yawns.

“It’s stupid late for you, Bokuto-san. Why are you still up?”

“Well, I was just super upset. Now I just want to keep talking to you.”

Akaashi sighs and closes his eyes. _Too much. He’s too much._

“I do too. We both need to go to sleep, though. I have to be up early again.”

Bokuto’s face grows serious. “Are you sleeping enough?”

Akaashi shrugs. “I can sleep when I’m home. Don’t worry about me.”

“I will, though. Make sure you’re sleeping. Please.”

Akaashi smiles and waves him off. “I am, I am. I sneak a few naps in, too. I’m okay, Bokuto-san, I promise. Thank you for your concern.”

They trail off and just look at each other again, neither speaking until Bokuto yawns again.

“Go to bed, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi says gently. “I’ll go, too.”

“Okay, okay. Good. Yes. Bed,” Bokuto slurs, eyes drifting shut again. “Goodnight, Akaashi.”

“Keiji,” Akaashi says before he can stop himself. Bokuto’s eyes widen slightly. “Call me Keiji.”

“Keiji,” Bokuto repeats. “Call me Koutarou, then.”

“Okay.” Akaashi smiles. “Goodnight Koutarou.”

“Goodnight, Keiji.” Bokuto’s hand slips towards the phone, hovering over the screen. “Thank you for this.”

“Anything for you.” Akaashi’s brain seems to fly out the window, along with his filter and his dignity, but Bokuto’s already cut the call. He hopes Bokuto didn’t hear him say that.

* * *

**@xilemodeling** ☑️ _X’ile Modeling  
_ _Posted at 5:30 PM  
_ _A successful month! We’ve got some huge and exciting new things coming out, so keep following for details. Thank you, @fashionweekofficial for having us! Always a pleasure to work with you!  
_ _[image attached: Akaashi, Oikawa, and Suna with the designer of the final show they walked in, in Paris, still in their runway looks.]_

* * *

“How are you feeling?”

“Tired.” Akaashi falls onto the bed, phone landing beside him. Bokuto’s laugh echoes in the room. “Hungry. Tired.”

“Nice ceiling,” Bokuto comments. Akaashi hears rustling as Bokuto continues digging around in his kitchen for something to snack on before bed. “You’ve got nothing else today?”

“Nope, I’m done. Completely done.” Akaashi yawns and curls up. He reaches blindly for his phone and sets it on the nightstand, propping it against the digital clock so he’s still in the frame and Bokuto isn’t still staring at the weird not white, but not really cream, ceiling of his hotel room. “Our flight’s at like, I don’t know, _stupid_ early. 4, I think, is when our manager wants us all in the lobby so we can leave.”

“Ew.”

“Ew,” Akaashi agrees. He yawns again. “Tired.”

“I know you are,” Bokuto says softly. “Do you want to nap?”

“Soon,” Akaashi says. “Tell me about your day.”

Bokuto launches into a story about practice and Akaashi lets his eyes close, listening to the sound of Bokuto’s voice. They’ve fallen into this routine of video calling in the evenings. Or, well, whenever they can. It depends, but if there’s a lull in both their schedules at the same time they try to sneak a call in.

When Akaashi admitted as much to Oikawa and Suna, they both just stared at him.

“That’s _literally_ what me and Iwa-chan do.”

“You’re gonna fuck when you get home,” is all Suna said, making Akaashi choke on his water. Suna handed him napkins, watching him struggle silently while Oikawa laughed beside him, patting his back.

“He’s right.”

“You shut up right now,” Akaashi had snapped.

“Still with me?” Bokuto’s voice brings him back.

“Yeah, yeah, sorry. Just thinking.”

Bokuto hums, carrying an apple and his phone through his dark apartment as he makes his way back to the bedroom. “What about?”

“How much I want a fucking hug.” Akaashi sighs and opens his eyes.

“Come over, then.”

“Gee, Koutarou, I _would_ , you see, but I’m in fucking _Paris.”_

“No, no, tomorrow.” Bokuto gets settled and sits cross-legged on his bed, tossing the apple back and forth in his hands. “Come over tomorrow and I’ll give you the best hug you’ve ever had in your life. Just come right over.”

Akaashi pauses. “I’ll be gross, right off the airplane. It’s a 12 hour flight, I think.”

“That doesn’t even matter, you’re always beautiful.”

Akaashi groans and waves his hand blindly at Bokuto, closing his eyes again. “Don’t.”

“I think I will,” Bokuto says with a smile. His voice softens, no longer teasing. “Seriously, though, just come over. I’ll order you something to eat and you can just sleep. Unless you have to go home for something?”

Akaashi pauses. “I… don’t, I guess. I can see if my manager can just drop my luggage off, she has a key to my place anyway.” Akaashi looks at Bokuto. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

Akaashi smiles. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow, then. I’ll text you my flight information later.”

“Okay. Go nap, you’re barely awake. Don’t look at me like that, you know it’s true,” Bokuto laughs and takes a bite of his apple. “Sleep well, Keiji. See you tomorrow.”

* * *

All Akaashi wants to do is lay down and sleep. For 12 years. At least.

He forgets every year just how much Fashion Month takes out of him.

His manager wakes him by shaking his shoulder a few times when the car’s at a stop in front of a tall apartment building in the middle of Tokyo.

“This is it?”

“Yep. I’ll drop your stuff off and then head home,” his manager says, scrolling through her phone. “You can get in?”

Akaashi nods and stretches before opening the door and hopping out of the car. “Bokuto-san sent me the keycode for the main door.”

His manager gives him a look and a suspicious hum.

Akaashi ignores it. “Thank you for your work this month. Sleep well.”

“I’ll see you next week,” she responds with a wave, and she doesn’t pull away from the curb until Akaashi’s safe inside the lobby of Bokuto’s apartment complex.

He shoots Bokuto a text that he’s here and then leans against one of the walls by the elevators. Akaashi shoves his hands deep in his trench coat pockets, ducking his chin in the hood of his sweatshirt bunched up around his neck. During the month he was gone, late fall really set into Tokyo, and it shocked him when he got off the plane and felt the general chill in the air.

Bokuto pokes his head out of one of the elevators a few minutes later and stares at Akaashi for a minute. Akaashi waves and Bokuto breaks out into a smile.

“Sorry,” Akaashi pulls his mask down below his chin once he’s in the elevator. Bokuto presses the button for the eleventh floor. “Habit.”

“Nah, I get it. I wear mine a lot, too.”

“I really, really did _not_ want to be recognized at the airport. I didn’t want to talk to anyone.” Akaashi leans against the wall and closes his eyes. He feels Bokuto’s heat as he steps close to him, leaning against the wall beside him.

“You okay?” He asks softly.

Akaashi nods and straightens up as the elevator comes to a stop. “Fucking tired, that’s all.”

“Let’s get you that hug and then you can go right to sleep, I promise.”

Akaashi follows Bokuto out of the elevator and into his apartment, slipping out of his shoes and padding through the entryway in just his socks. He tosses his hat and mask on the table by the door while Bokuto hangs his coat in the closet, leaving both of them in just sweatshirts and comfy pants, and then Bokuto stands in front of him, arms open with a gentle smile on his face.

“Hug now?”

“Hug now.” Akaashi steps forward and wraps his arms around Bokuto’s waist. Bokuto drops his arms around Akaashi, one around his shoulders and the other one low on his back. Akaashi leans against him, resting his head on Bokuto’s shoulder, and Bokuto leans his head against Akaashi’s as they stand in the foyer of his apartment.

“You do give good hugs.”

“Don’t tell me you _doubted_ me,” Bokuto teases softly, cradling the back of his head and scratching lightly at the nape of his neck.

Bokuto doesn’t rush him, just runs one of his hands along the length of Akaashi’s spine while humming softly.

Akaashi feels so warm and safe that he really doesn’t want to break the contact, but his feet are tired and they’re still just standing in the foyer. He lets go with reluctance, and Bokuto doesn’t release him until Akaashi is steady on his feet.

“Hungry?”

Akaashi nods, and Bokuto takes his hand and leads him to the couch in the living room. He instructs Akaashi to sit down and goes to grab his phone, coming back to find Akaashi curled up against the couch cushions under the blanket Bokuto keeps under the coffee table.

“Hey, hold on, move real quick. I know, real quick, I promise.” Akaashi groans as Bokuto moves him without opening his eyes, and a moment later he finds himself pressed against Bokuto’s side, head against his shoulder with one of Bokuto’s hands around his shoulders and the other scrolling through his phone. “Comfy?”

Akaashi nods and presses closer.

“In the mood for anything in particular?”

Akaashi hums softly as he thinks. “Ramen?”

Bokuto types the topic into the search bar on his phone. “Yeah, there’s a good place nearby that’s still open. What do you want?”

Akaashi dozes off while they wait for the food to arrive, comfortable and warm against Bokuto. Bokuto turns the TV on, volume low, to some cheesy action movie and plays with Akaashi’s hair, letting him rest.

Akaashi cracks his eyes open with a groan when there’s a knock at the door and Bokuto carefully sits up, laying Akaashi down on the couch.

“I’ll be right back,” he whispers, and then he presses a soft kiss to Akaashi’s forehead before opening the door.

Akaashi hears soft murmuring, and by the time Bokuto gets back Akaashi is sitting upright with the blanket still in his lap, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wake up.

“Do you want to eat now?” Bokuto sets the bag on the table. “You could always nap, and we’ll reheat it later.”

“No…” Akaashi sighs. “No, because I know once I go to sleep I won’t be waking back up for a very long time, and I need to eat before then.”

“Valid,” Bokuto says with a nod, and he unloads the food and checks their orders. Bokuto seems to understand Akaashi’s lack of energy and they eat in silence, but it’s not awkward. Bokuto’s thigh is warm against Akaashi’s under the blanket and they eat quickly.

Bokuto insists that Akaashi stay on the couch, “it’s just throwing everything away, anyway,” and when he comes back he lays down prone on the couch, head against the arm rest, and pulls Akaashi to lay half on top of him. Akaashi ends up sandwiched between the soft couch cushions and the hard lines of Bokuto’s body and he curls close as Bokuto fixes the blanket over him.

“You’re sure it’s okay if I stay?” Akaashi asks softly as Bokuto carefully takes his glasses off and folds them, setting them on the coffee table.

“It’s fine, I promise. I wouldn’t have had you come over if I was just going to kick you out later,” Bokuto reiterates. “I know you’re tired. It’s okay.” He smiles and runs a hand through Akaashi’s hair before gently tugging him to lay down on his chest. “Relax.”

Akaashi drapes his arm over Bokuto’s waist and finds that his head fits perfectly under Bokuto’s chin. He falls asleep right as the sequel to the last movie starts.

* * *

**_@kingoikawa_ ** ☑️ _Oikawa Tooru  
_ _Posted at 11:57 PM  
_ _So great to be back home! I hope everyone’s getting enough sleep and snuggled up close with the people who matter most to them!_

 **_@oiakakings_ ** _Oikawa Akaashi REAL  
_ _Posted at 11:59 PM  
_ _HE’S WITH AKAASHI I KNOW HE IS THE WAY THEY’RE BOYFRIENDS  
_ _[Quote tweet: @kingoikawa  
_ _So great to be back home! I hope everyone’s getting enough sleep and snuggled up close with the people who matter most to them!]_

 **_@iloveakaashi_ ** _AKAASHI IS A LEGEND AND IN THIS ESSAY I WI  
_ _Posted at 12:37 AM  
_ _I literally hate these people sO MUCH. They’re not gay. What about Akaashi says he’s gay?  
_ _[Quote tweet: @oiakakings  
_ _HE’S WITH AKAASHI I KNOW HE IS THE WAY THEY’RE BOYFRIENDS]_

 **_@oiakakings_ ** _Oikawa Akaashi REAL  
_ _Posted at 12:42 AM  
_ _@iloveakaashi What about Akaashi says he’s straight???_

 **_@iloveakaashi_ ** _AKAASHI IS A LEGEND AND IN THIS ESSAY I WI  
_ _Posted at 12:47 AM  
_ _@oiakakings EVERYTHING LMFAO SIT DOWN_

* * *

Akaashi wakes up disoriented.

For a second he thinks he’s in a hotel, but the bed feels too nice and the room feels too homey to be a bland hotel.

He looks around and sees some of the pictures on the walls, the volleyball related knick-knacks scattered on almost every flat surface, and the messy gym bag thrown in the corner by the door, and he remembers.

He fell asleep with Bokuto last night.

 _On_ Bokuto.

He must’ve been really out of it if he didn’t wake up when Bokuto inevitably carried him to bed, or even when he slipped out from under him on the couch. Akaashi wonders if he should be worried about how deep asleep he was, but decides that no, he shouldn’t, and he rolls over to see his glasses and his phone on the nightstand.

There’s a note there, and Akaashi snags it, dropping his phone in his lap.

_Semi-early practice today!! I didn’t have the heart to wake you, so feel free to stay as long as you’d like!! I put out fresh towels in my bathroom if you want to shower, and help yourself to anything in the kitchen!! I’ll text you when I’m on my way home. Sleep well, Keiji <3 _

The other side of the bed is messy and clearly slept in. Akaashi rolls over and is upset to find it completely cold, meaning Bokuto’s been gone for a while now. His pillow certainly smells like him, and Akaashi is reminded of snuggling into the crook of Bokuto’s neck last night, so he lays on it while he checks through all his notifications.

He sees a few texts from Oikawa, one of which includes a selfie of him behind cuddled by Iwaizumi from behind, both of them shirtless, Iwaizumi’s arms over his chest and his chin hooked over his shoulder and Oikawa has that soft, gentle smile on his face that’s only reserved for Iwaizumi and, occasionally, Akaashi.

 **From: Oikawa  
** **10:45 PM  
** _Hope your night was as eventful as mine ;)  
_ _[image attached]_

 **To: Oikawa  
** **1:37 PM  
** _I literally hate you so much.  
_ _Also HOW were you up so late I passed out almost as soon as I got here._

 **From: Oikawa  
** **1:43 PM  
** _Iwa-chan has his ways of waking me up_ ٩(˘◡˘)۶

 **To: Oikawa  
** **1:51 PM  
** _EW EW EW EW STOP EW EW  
_ _Tell him I said hi though._

 **From: Oikawa  
** **2:02 PM  
** _They’re shipping us on twitter again LOOK LOOK LOOK  
_ _[attached image: screenshot of thread between @oiakakings and @iloveakaashi]_

 **To: Oikawa  
** **2:24 PM  
** _THEY THINK I’M STRAIGHT LMAO STOP  
_ _Imagine how tired I am.._

 **From: Oikawa  
** **2:25 PM  
** _Notice how they didn’t try to prove my heterosexuality my power MY IMPACT_

 **To: Oikawa  
** **2:25 PM  
** _I WISH I WAS YOU_

* * *

**Group chat: Sexy Bitchessssss  
** **[Members:** Oikawa Tooru, Akaashi Keiji, Suna Rintarou **]  
** **To: Sexy Bitchessssss  
** _I need help._

 **From: Oikawa  
** _WHAT DO U NEED BBY_

 **To: Sexy Bitchessssss  
** _So you know how I stayed the night at Kou’s right_

 **From: Suna  
** _Kou_ 👀 👀 👀

 **From: Oikawa  
** _Kou_ 👀 👀 👀

 **To: Sexy Bitchessssss  
** _SHUT UP AND LISTEN DON’T DO THIS RN  
_ _LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN  
_ _I didn’t think to bring any spare clothes??  
_ _Bokuto’s at practice so I know he doesn’t have his phone on him  
_ _And I just showered.  
_ _Help._

 **From: Suna  
** _LMFAOOOOOOO_

 **From: Oikawa  
** _Don’t put your airport clothes back on ew ew ew_

 **To: Sexy Bitchessssss  
** _I know that omg  
_ _OKAY BUT SERIOUSLY HELP_

 **From: Oikawa  
** _If he was okay with u spending the day in his apartment alone then I think he’d be okay with u wearing some of his clothes_

 **From: Suna  
** _Do it you’ll get fucked I Guarantee_

 **To: Sexy Bitchessssss  
** _Do either of you ever think about anything but getting fucked??_

 **From: Oikawa  
** _Why would I when Iwa-chan is the best at fucking_ 🥵

 **From: Suna  
** _Tea though_

 **To: Sexy Bitchessssss  
** _You guys are no help goodbye._

 **From: Suna  
** _I hope u get fucked today_

 **From: Oikawa  
** _Omg retweet_

* * *

Akaashi is in the kitchen when Bokuto gets home, fresh out of the shower. Not having any spare clothes of his own, and spending 5 minutes standing in a towel trying to figure out what to do, Akaashi decided to listen to Oikawa and Suna and he rifled through Bokuto’s drawers. Everything’s a little bit big on him, but he found a spare pair of sweats and grabbed a hoodie from one of the drawers, constantly pushing the sleeves up because they fall all the way below his hands.

It’s not the end of the world. He can take the clothes home and wash them, and bring them back in a few days. Easy enough.

It’s just _clothes,_ after all. No big deal.

“Akaashi?” Bokuto calls quietly, voice mixing with the sound of the door closing. “Are you up?”

“I’m in the kitchen,” Akaashi calls back. “Want some tea?”

“Sure.” Akaashi hears some shuffling as Bokuto takes off his shoes and then goes to put his workout bag back in the bedroom. “My hands are freezing. Coach had us running some outside drills-”

Akaashi turns around to see Bokuto still in the doorway, just staring at him.

He sighs. “I know, I know. But I showered, and I realized I didn’t have any of my own clothes with me _after_ the fact. I’ll take them home and wash them, and I can bring them back in a few days.”

“You should keep them,” Bokuto interrupts him. He smiles softly and leans against the door frame. “They look better on you, anyway.”

Akaashi knows his eyes are lingering on the big 12 on the front of the hoodie, his Jackals one with his name on the back was the first one Akaashi had grabbed.

It also may have, possibly, smelled the most like Bokuto. That’s not something Akaashi will _ever_ confirm nor deny, though.

“Well, thank you.” Akaashi clears his throat and looks away. “So, tea?”

“Yeah, yeah, sorry.” Bokuto shakes his head. “I just need a minute.”

“What?”

“You sure know how to give a guy a heart attack.” Bokuto steps up to him and Akaashi holds his hands out, smiling as Bokuto envelopes him in another warm hug. Bokuto presses a soft kiss to the top of Akaashi’s head. “You look _so_ good, Keiji.”

Akaashi’s heart hammers when Bokuto says his name.

“Say it again.”

“Say what?”

“My name.” Akaashi swallows and presses his face into the crook of Bokuto’s neck. “Say my name again.”

“Keiji.” Bokuto’s arms tighten around Akaashi. “Keiji, Keiji, you’re so beautiful.”

“Koutarou?”

“Yeah?” Bokuto looks down and meets Akaashi’s gaze.

“Can I kiss you?”

“You’re wearing _my_ team hoodie, and my sweats, and you spent the night at my place last night, and you still think you have to ask?”

Bokuto leans his head down and whispers, “you don’t,” and then Akaashi tilts his chin up and closes the distance between them.

Kissing Bokuto in the quiet of his apartment feels like kissing him back in the club after the game. Akaashi’s heart pounds, and suddenly he’s hot, and Bokuto is warm and steady against him. Bokuto tilts his head to deepen the kiss and Akaashi lets him, hands up on his shoulders and tangled in his damp hair. He must’ve showered before he came home.

Akaashi smiles as Bokuto’s head drops further and he nuzzles his neck before pressing soft kisses against it, adding more force with each one until Akaashi is moaning as Bokuto sucks a mark just above his collarbone.

Akaashi pulls Bokuto’s head up to kiss him properly again, arching against the hard planes of muscle. Akaashi is fit, too, he has to work out several days a week, but he’s not all hard muscle like several of the other male models he works with. Instead, with more of an androgynous look to him (or so he’s been told by his agents), he keeps his body toned, but not ripped. It gives him more room to work different looks and styles.

Bokuto, though, is the hard rock muscle of a professional athlete.

“Is this okay?”

Akaashi nods, and then he can’t help the gasp he lets out as he’s lifted onto the counter and Bokuto steps between his legs. He lets out a breathless laugh as Bokuto’s hands sneak under the hoodie to rest on his waist.

“This?”

“Just how far are you planning on going with this?” Akaashi asks with a soft smile. He cups Bokuto’s cheeks and presses a soft kiss to the tip of his nose, his forehead, and above both his eyebrows.

“As far as you’ll let me,” Bokuto whispers.

Akaashi smiles at him. “All the way, then.”

“All the way?”

Akaashi tangles his hands in Bokuto’s hair as he pulls him into another kiss, not letting up until they’re both panting and worked up, his legs tight around Bokuto’s waist.

“Take me back to bed, Koutarou.”

Bokuto does, lifting him with a soft grunt, and then he lets out a series of soft moans as Akaashi gets his turn on _his_ neck until Bokuto gets into the bedroom and shuts the door.

He sits down on the edge of the bed with Akaashi in his lap, and Akaashi pulls his shirt over his head before pushing Bokuto back so he’s laying down.

Bokuto’s hands sneak under Akaashi’s hoodie and he pushes it up until Akaashi lets out a soft laugh and strips it the rest of the way off. Immediately Bokuto’s hands find his chest, fingers fiddling with his nipple rings.

Akaashi breathes out a soft moan and falls forward, catching himself on his hands. Bokuto slides out from under him and pulls Akaashi with him so they’re more centered on the bed. Akaashi lets Bokuto lay him down and slip between his legs, hips flush with the back of his thighs, and then Bokuto’s bent down, mouth on Akaashi’s nipple ring and tongue flicking it back and forth and _fuck_ , he forgot how _good_ that feels.

Eventually Akaashi decides he needs to kiss Bokuto again, so he grabs a handful of hair and pulls his head up off his chest.

Bokuto allows his head to fall back with Akaashi’s hand and he lets out a soft sigh, and Akaashi’s eyes narrow. He tugs again and feels Bokuto shiver between his legs.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Bokuto says softly. “Do that again?”

“Absolutely.” Akaashi smiles sharply.

This’ll be fun.

* * *

“Hey.”

“Hm?” Akaashi forces his eyes open and he turns his head, looking up at Bokuto. He’s comfortable, head cushioned against Bokuto’s chest and warm underneath the comforter, Bokuto’s body heat contributes to the heat as both of them cool back down.

He’s tired, too, and while he was more than happy to pull Bokuto’s hair and tell him how well he was doing and ride him until Bokuto couldn’t handle it anymore, now all he wants is a fucking _nap._

“It’s been a month.” Bokuto’s hand finds Akaashi’s and drags it out from under the comforter, lacing their fingers together and kissing his wrist.

“So it has.” Akaashi leans forward and presses a kiss to the damp skin of Bokuto’s neck.

Bokuto smiles down at him. “Go out with me?”

“I’d love to.”

* * *

“Bokuto _fucks!”_

Akaashi and Bokuto startle awake to see Hinata and Atsumu standing in the doorway, looking absolutely _ecstatic._

“What the actual _fuck_ are you doing here?” Bokuto grumbles. He pulls the comforter high over his shoulder in an attempt to hide the marks on his shoulder from his friends and Akaashi curls up, absolutely _not_ wanting to be here at this moment in time.

“We were going to go get something to eat, and we texted you, but you didn’t answer.”

“I told you Keiji’s here.” Bokuto rolls onto his back, palms pressed against his eyes in a sorry attempt to block them out.

Akaashi’s heart skips. _Keiji._ He doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to that. 

“We didn’t think he would _still_ be here,” Hinata sings, leaning against the doorway.

“So I didn’t respond to one text-”

“17, actually.”

Bokuto groans. _“17_ texts, what the _fuck_ , so you decided to break into my apartment?”

“It was only 2 floors down, and you gave us a key. It’s not breaking in if you have a key,” Atsumu reminds him, showing off said key dangling from his keychain.

“That key is for _emergencies.”_ Bokuto grabs one of the throw pillows on the floor and lobs it in their general direction. Hinata falls to the floor and it sails over his head, landing somewhere in the hallway behind him.

“This _is_ an emergency. We also can’t decide where we want to eat,” Atsumu says, hands on his hips.

Bokuto gives Akaashi a look that is pure pain and whispers “I’m so sorry” before sitting up and running a hand through his hair.

“You have 5 seconds to start running before I drag you out. By your hair.” Hinata cowers at the threat, but Atsumu doesn’t move.

“You don’t scare me.”

“By your _ears,_ then.” Bokuto amends with a glare.

Atsumu mirrors his expression, challenging. Akaashi shakes his head and tugs the blanket tighter over his shoulder, curling against the pillow.

“You gonna get out of bed and let us see your body in all its post-sex glory, then?” Atsumu teases.

Bokuto grabs another pillow and Atsumu and Hinata both duck, and Bokuto uses the time to his advantage as he grabs the sweatpants from earlier. By the time they’ve straightened back up Bokuto has his pants on and they both scream and take off down the hallway, Bokuto hot on their heels.

Akaashi stays warm and comfortable in bed, sure that he’ll have to get used to it. Bokuto’s mentioned before they all have keys to each other’s places, and most of the team live in the same apartment complex so they’re close to the practice facility and their home stadium, and they can carpool to and from events.

Normally, the stories Akaashi gets are of Bokuto, Atsumu, and Hinata randomly showing up to Sakusa’s place to annoy him. Part of Akaashi thinks _finally, a taste of his own fucking medicine,_ but the other part of him wants Bokuto back for more cuddles and to finish their nap.

There’s a fair bit of yelling and teasing and laughing from the living room, but eventually the door slams and Akaashi hears _two_ locks ringing through the apartment as Bokuto secures the top lock, too, and grumbles under his breath all the way back to the bedroom.

He strips back out of his pants and Akaashi immediately curls against him.

“You might have to get used to that, if you stick around,” Bokuto whispers. “We’re a team of assholes, I’ll be the first to admit that.”

“If…” Akaashi chooses to respond to that. _“If_ I stick around?”

“As long as you’re _planning_ _on_ sticking around, then.”

Akaashi presses a light kiss to Bokuto’s shoulder. “Good thing I adapt fast, then.”

Bokuto hugs him tight. “Good thing, indeed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tag yourself i'm drunk hinata taking 3 shots when everyone else says "no" and that one friend who supports all bad choices says "yes" and then ends up stealing and drinking half the damn bottle


	2. Disclosure

**From: Koutarou** ❤  
 _This u?  
_ _[attached link: Twitter  
_ ** _@oiakakings_ ** _Oikawa Akaashi REAL  
_ _Breathe if Oikawa and Akaashi are dating and the cutest boyfriends ever  
_ _{attached image: selfie of Oikawa and Akaashi after an interview, standing close with Oikawa’s arm over Akaashi’s shoulders}]_

 **To: Koutarou** ❤  
 _I really didn’t want you to find out this way_ 😭 😭

 **From: Koutarou** ❤  
 _There is no LOVE there is no LOYALTY in this relationship_

* * *

Akaashi walks into an empty gym, tired and hungry and, like usual after long weeks, _desperately_ in need of one of Bokuto’s hugs that seem to fix absolutely everything wrong in the world.

“Hey, baby.”

Akaashi waves at his boyfriend and collapses on the floor beside Bokuto’s gym bag. 

“Long day?”

“Yeah.” Akaashi runs a hand over his face and drags it back through his hair.

“Wanna come over and take a nap?”

“That would be nice. Do you mind if I just stay the night? If not, I’ll just head home and sleep. I’m really tired,” Akaashi says, stifling a yawn.

“Of course I don’t mind, Keiji.” Bokuto tucks the ball under his left arm against his hip as he approaches Akaashi. “You’re always welcome over. Do you want to go now?”

“No, finish your sets,” Akaashi says. He takes Bokuto’s outstretched hand and stands up, stretching his arms over his head. “I don’t want to ruin your routine. I can wait.”

“It’s no big deal, Keiji, if you want to head out. One day won’t kill me.”

Akaashi hums and reaches out, taking the ball from Bokuto and tossing it in the air a couple of times, feeling the familiar weight in his palms.

“If you’re sure.” He tosses the ball back to Bokuto, who eyes him and tosses it right back.

“Want to play with me?”

Akaashi blinks at him. “I haven’t played in years. You’re used to Atsumu. My shitty sets will throw you off.”

He’s still tired, but he hasn’t even _held_ a volleyball in years. It seems to awaken something in him and he bounces the ball against the shiny gym floor. Maybe… 

Bokuto smiles at him and takes a couple more steps back, holding a hand out. “Play with me? Please? Unless you’re too tired.”

“No, no,” Akaashi bounces the ball on the ground three times. “It’s not that. It’s going to be embarrassing for me. I haven’t seriously played since middle school, Kou.”

“It’s okay. It’s just us.” Bokuto’s voice drops and his smile softens. “It’s just me. I won’t laugh at you. Set for me?”

Akaashi feels himself smile and then he sighs and nods. “Yeah, okay.” He walks onto the court and tosses the ball back to Bokuto to toss at him for the set. “Don’t laugh.”

“My lips are sealed,” Bokuto promises solemnly. “Ready?”

“Oh, gods. Yeah.” Akaashi swallows and then his eyes are on the ball as Bokuto bounces it against the ground and then tosses it up in Akaashi’s direction, immediately running towards the net.

Akaashi purses his lips, eyes flicking back and forth between Bokuto and the ball. He jumps at a good time and sends the ball up towards Bokuto, holding his breath, doing his best to guess how Bokuto takes his sets based on what he’s seen Atsumu do. 

It’s going to be horrible. Bokuto’s going to miss, and laugh at him, and Akaashi will never, ever pick up a volleyball again.

His eyes catch on Bokuto as he starts moving, jumping for the ball. His form is perfect, and Akaashi sees that his eyes have the same intense concentration he has during actual games as he draws his arm back and hits the ball, thank the _gods,_ and sends it clean over the net. He lands loudly back on the ground and then looks at Akaashi with a smile.

“Haven’t played since middle school?”

Akaashi nods.

“You’re not lying to me, are you?”

“I don’t think it was _that_ bad-”

“Because it wasn’t,” Bokuto interrupts him, walking over to the basket that holds a few more balls. “It was pretty good, Keiji. Better than I expected.”

Akaashi fixes Bokuto with a flat look. “Thanks.” 

“It was a compliment.” Bokuto laughs as he grabs another ball. “Again?”

“Sure.” Akaashi shrugs. He likes seeing Bokuto like this, intense yet relaxed in his natural element. It’s waking him up, a bit. “Any pointers?”

“Can you give me a steeper angle?”

Akaashi nods, Bokuto sends the ball into the air again, and this time when he hits it the impact is much louder, echoing throughout the empty gym as his feet slam back into the floor at the same time as the ball hits the other side of the court, just inside the line. A perfect line shot.

Bokuto shoots Akaashi a bright smile. “There _has_ to be something you’re not good at.”

Akaashi rolls his eyes and walks over to the basket, grabbing another ball. “Stop it. How many more of these?”

“Think you can give me eight more?”

Akaashi bounces the ball against the floor and then lobs it in Bokuto’s direction, who catches it with a laugh. “We’ll see.”

* * *

 **_@bokutobeam_ ** ☑️ _Bokuto Koutarou  
_ _Posted at 5:11 AM  
_ _ATSUMU DOESN’T WEAR MATCHING SOCKS ATSUMU DOESN’T WEAR MATCHING SOCKS WHAT TF IS WRONG WITH YOU\_

 **_@atsumu4u_ ** ☑️ _Miya Atsumu  
_ _Posted at 5:14 AM  
_ _@bokutobeam BECAUSE THAT’S A LOT OF WORK?? YOU THINK I HAVE TIME TO MATCH //AND// FOLD MY SOCKS EVERY DAY?? LMFAO WHO TF DOES THAT??_

 **_@sunshinehinata_ ** ☑️ _Hinata Shoyo  
_ _Posted at 5:16 AM  
_ _@bokutobeam @atsumu4u I also don’t match my socks. They’ll just end up on my feet and back in the washer, mixed up with all the other socks again anyway. The only time I match my socks is on game days because cap says I have to._

 **_@bokutobeam_ ** ☑️ _Bokuto Koutarou  
_ _Posted at 5:21 AM  
_ _Atsumu and Hinata are toxic: a thread with receipts_ 🥵🙏

 **_@atsumu4u_ ** ☑️ _Miya Atsumu  
_ _Posted at 5:34 AM  
_ _@bokutobeam open your door bro I just wanna talk_

 **_@bokutobeam_ ** ☑️ _Bokuto Koutarou  
_ _Posted at 5:35 AM  
_ _@atsumu4u no_ 😍

* * *

 **Group chat: MSBY BASTARDS** 🥵 🥵 🥵

 **[Members:** Meian Shugo, Inunaki Shion, Tomas Adriah, Oliver Barnes, Bokuto Koutarou, Miya Atsumu, Sakusa Kiyoomi, Hinata Shoyo **]**

 **From: The Cap™  
** _Why are you always shitposting at 4 in the morning WHY DON’T YOU IDIOTS EVER SLEEP_

 **From: Atsumu  
** _Excuse you  
_ _We were shitposting at 5 in the morning_

* * *

“Keiji!”

Akaashi stirs with a groan, glances at the clock, and then pulls the blanket over his head. More sleep.

“Keiji!” Bokuto calls again from the living room. “Come here!”

“No,” Akaashi responds. His voice is quieter than Bokuto’s, but he knows that it still carries through the otherwise silent apartment. “You come _here.”_

Bokuto pokes his head through the open bedroom door. “It’s five. You told me to wake you at five.”

Akaashi groans again and tries to bury himself in the blanket nest he’s made himself on Bokuto’s bed. Bokuto’s right. He did. He just got back from a three-week long campaign workshop and shoot in Paris, and he’s trying to get a hold of the jetlag quick enough that it doesn’t ruin his life for the next week, but he’s still so damn tired.

“Come on, get up! I have a surprise for you.” The blankets are yanked off his head and suddenly Akaashi sees bright spots on the backs of his eyelids which remain stubbornly shut to the rest of the world.

“What is it?”

Bokuto pulls the blankets the rest of the way off Akaashi and piles them on the edge of the bed. Akaashi opens his eyes to see the cheeky grin thrown his way.

“Come into the living room to find out.”

“I hate you.”

“Up and at ‘em, Keiji!” Bokuto says. His tone is almost as bright as the sunlight streaming in through the windows. “You’ll love it!”

“Can I have a hint?” Akaashi asks, rubbing his eyes.

“My new merch samples are in.”

That _does_ grab Akaashi’s attention, and Bokuto must see it on his face because he laughs, reminds Akaashi to join him in the living room, and then he leaves the room in a whirlwind of noise that Akaashi knows is deliberate to keep him from going back to sleep.

It takes him a few minutes, but Akaashi manages to drag himself out of bed, pause in the bathroom to brush his teeth, and then he sinks onto the couch as Bokuto grabs a pair of scissors and slices the first big box open.

Akaashi had stayed up late with Bokuto multiple nights skimming through the samples sent over by the team’s PR manager and Bokuto’s personal agent, looking over every small detail and making list after list to perfect everything so that Bokuto would feel pride seeing people in the stands with his merch on their backs. Bokuto had put a lot of thought and work into the planning, and Akaashi can’t help but feel a flush of pride, too, when Bokuto pulls out the first t-shirt, carefully wrapped in white tissue paper.

“This is nice,” Akaashi says when Bokuto hands it over. It’s just a plain black t-shirt with the Jackals’ logo on the upper lefthand corner and Bokuto’s name and number on the back. “I like it.”

“Here’s, I think… yeah, here’s the white one.” Bokuto looks that one over and then Akaashi holds his hand out, looking over the two of them side by side while Bokuto continues unpacking the box.

They look over everything and Bokuto has a small notebook with a few notes sitting on the coffee table, but it’s all small things that are either easily fixable or a printing issue that he wants to make sure is cleared up before they start mass producing everything and putting it on the market.

“It’s really nice,” Akaashi strips out of the sweatshirt he’d been napping in and pulls on one of the new ones, designed to mimic the Jackals’ jersey style just with the hood and the long sleeves. “Comfy.”

Bokuto glances back and catches Akaashi in the sweatshirt after a quick double take, and then he shoves the pile of shirts on the couch aside and sinks down next to him.

“You look good in my colors.”

Akaashi shoots him a bored look. It’s a line Bokuto uses a lot, but it makes his heart skip a beat every time and the slight curve of his lips gives him away.

Bokuto leans forward and cups Akaashi’s cheeks with gentle, warm hands and a smile, whispers “my number, too,” and then kisses him.

* * *

Several balls hit the floor of the gym as Akaashi steps in and he ducks his head. He needs to hide. He’s smarter than this.

_Oh no._

“Akaashi!” Hinata is the first one to grab his attention, smiling and waving from the opposite side of the court. “Hi, Akaashi! Akaashi!”

“Hi, Hinata,” Akaashi calls back quietly. “Hi, everyone.” The rest of the team offer him waves and, for the most part, go back to what they’re doing with Meian and the coach yelling at them for getting distracted.

“Akaashi!” Hinata ignores Meian and runs up to Akaashi, who shoots the captain an apologetic look while Meian just throws his hands in the air and says “am I fucking invisible?” 

“Akaashi, Bokuto said that you toss really well for him! Can you toss for me too?”

Akaashi covers his mouth and snorts as Hinata gets hit in the head with a ball. He bends over, cradling the back of his head, and Bokuto stands still within the bounds of the court but facing away from the net.

“Stop trying to steal my setter!”

“I thought I was your boyfriend?” Akaashi raises an eyebrow.

“That too!” Bokuto yells. “Akaashi, don’t set for him!”

“I thought _I_ was your setter,” Atsumu shoots back from the other side of the net. “I’m everyone’s fucking setter.”

“Sorry, Tsum-Tsum, there’s just something about Akaashi’s tosses.” Bokuto jogs off the court and over to Akaashi, shoving Hinata back in the direction of Meian, who’s standing there watching with his arms crossed and looking so, _so_ tired. “Leave my boyfriend alone. He’s not going to toss to you.”

“I’m not?” Akaashi asks with a smile, leaning in as Bokuto wraps an arm around his shoulder.

“I… please don’t. _Please.”_

“I get it,” Hinata says as he walks towards the court. “Kageyama’s tosses are the best!”

“No one appreciates me!” Atsumu yells, falling to his knees with his head in his hands. “I’m being bullied! I am under-appreciated here!”

Meian just sighs and their coach calls for a water break.

Akaashi grimaces and mouths _sorry_ to him as he passes.

“Can’t stop them once they’ve started,” Meian says with another sigh. Poor guy. “Might as well take advantage of it.”

“Omi!” Atsumu snags the hem of Sakusa’s shorts as he walks by to take his break. “Omi, you like my tosses best, right?”

Sakusa seems to consider it. “Kageyama has really good technique.”

Atsumu stares at him in shock and lets go of his pants. “Omi, how _could_ you! He’s not even on our team!”

“I know talent when I see it,” Sakusa says with a yawn. He stretches his arms over his head.

“Omi, I’m _dying_ here. Your own boyfriend. Right in front of you.”

“Then die already.”

The gym is quiet for a moment and then everyone is laughing, falling over themselves. Hinata ends up on the floor with Inunaki, and even Meian is chuckling under his breath. Bokuto leans against Akaashi who hides his smile behind his hand, still feeling guilty for interrupting their practice this much. 

He _just_ needed to drop something off.

“I’m never leaving.” Atsumu drops onto the floor on his back, arms and legs splayed out. “This is my home now. I am passing away.”

“Maybe now I can get some damn sleep without you hogging the blankets,” Sakusa says, sending the whole team into another round of laughter.

 _“Omi!”_

“This is all I’m here for.” Akaashi digs Bokuto’s wallet out of his pocket and hands it to his boyfriend, following him to his gym bag so he can get a drink, too.

“Great job, Miya, you’ve missed out on your water break. Everyone back!” The coach calls. “Hinata, you too, leave Akaashi-san alone. Bokuto, you’ve got three minutes to get this taken care of,” the coach gestures to Akaashi, “and then I want you in on these drills.”

Bokuto nods and takes a drink out of his water bottle, dropping his wallet in his bag. 

“Thanks, I didn’t realize I left it since Sakusa picked me up.”

“Yeah, I figured. And I have that late shoot tonight, so you wouldn’t be able to get it until tomorrow.” Akaashi holds up Bokuto’s keychain and dangles it in front of his face. Bokuto laughs awkwardly and snags them, tossing them into his bag, too.

Akaashi gifted Bokuto a key to his apartment a few months ago, but Bokuto left his keys _with_ his wallet on the bedside table on his side of the bed.

“Make sure you eat when you get home,” Bokuto reminds him, arms snaking around his waist. Akaashi scrunches his nose, because Bokuto is _sweaty_ , but he lets his boyfriend hold him anyway. “And go right to bed.”

“Yes, yes, I’ll do my best,” Akaashi tells him with a smile.

“Do you want to just come over to my place tonight?” Bokuto asks, hugging his waist.

“Aren’t you having Atsumu and Hinata over?”

“Atsumu passed away, in case you forgot,” Bokuto says with a cheeky grin, pointing to where Meian is hauling Atsumu up by the back of his shirt. “Seriously, I can kick them out when you’re on your way.”

“No, no, have fun with your friends tonight.” Akaashi smooths Bokuto’s hair back with his hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow? Or the day after, at the game.”

“I can’t _not_ see you for 24 hours, Keiji,” Bokuto pouts. “Don’t do this to me.”

“Bokuto, ass on the court!” The coach yells. A whistle blows, and the whole team lines up on the far serving line for conditioning drills.

“I’ll text you,” Akaashi tells him. “Go practice.”

“Okay,” Bokuto says with a smile, and then he kisses him.

 _Kisses_ him.

Akaashi is completely taken by surprise and he grips Bokuto’s shoulders as Bokuto’s arms tighten around him, leaning him back.

The whole team erupts in laughter and wolf whistles as the coach’s yelling gets drowned out, and Akaashi pushes Bokuto back with a smile and a laugh.

 _“Go.”_ He pushes Bokuto towards the court. “I’ll text you,” he says again.

“Omi-”

“I will literally never kiss you in public, don’t even look at me,” Sakusa says, taking his spot at the line.

 _“Omi!”_ Atsumu cries.

“Stop _looking_ at me, Atsumu.”

“You’re so mean to me!”

Bokuto takes his place in the lineup, and the second he does the coach yells “4 suicides,” and blows the whistle. The team takes off, keeping pretty good pace with each other as they start their drills, and Akaashi slips out of the gym after stealing Bokuto’s hoodie from his gym bag.

* * *

 **From: Koutarou** ❤  
 **9:47 PM  
** _Keiji :(((((((((  
_ _Keiji!!!  
_ _Keiji i miss you sm :(((((((  
_ _I know you’re doing great on your shoot just know i love you and i’m so proud of you and i can’t wait until you’re done so i can see you again_ (っ❤◡❤)っ 

**From: Koutarou** ❤  
 **10:03 PM  
** _Where is my Keiji pls i miss you sO MUCH  
_ _Atsumu and Sakusa are over and they’re being  
_ _Grossly cute  
_ _They never do this  
_ _They’re so clingy ATSUMU IS SO CLINGY EW EW EW  
_ _And Hinata hid in the bathroom to call Kageyama and i miss you so much COME OVER COME OVER_

 **From: Koutarou** ❤  
 **10:21 PM  
** _We’re talking about sex and now i miss having sex with you please come over when you’re done i want to eat your ass so bad  
_ _Keiji please please please_

 **To: Koutarou** ❤  
 **11:13 PM  
** _Omg Kou akdfhlkajsdf  
_ _Are you drunk??_

 **From: Koutarou** ❤  
 **11:14 PM  
** _No no i’m not i just miss u :(((  
_ _And your ass :((((((((_

 **To: Koutarou** ❤  
 **11:15 PM  
** _OOMG KOUTAROU_

 **From: Koutarou** ❤  
 **11:15 PM  
** _Say my name like that again_ 🥵

 **To: Koutarou** ❤  
 **11:15 PM  
** _I am  
_ _So powerful_ 💅💅

 **From: Koutarou** ❤  
 **11:16 PM  
** _You are you are KEIJI PLS we were talking about sex and i realized we’ve been so busy that we haven’t fucked and now i have an overwhelming need to eat your ass keiJI  
_ 🥺 🥺 🥺 🥺 🥺 🥺 🥺

 **To: Koutarou** ❤  
 **11:16 PM  
** _When have I ever told you to not eat my ass when you wanted to??  
_ _Except that one time because I was on a schedule and I had to leave_

 **From: Koutarou** ❤  
 **11:16 PM  
** _So what I’m hearing is?????_

 **To: Koutarou** ❤  
 **11:16 PM  
** _I’m on my way as soon as I get cleaned up  
_ _I’ll be over around midnight_ 💓 💓

 **From: Koutarou** ❤  
 **11:17 PM  
** _Kicking them out As We Speak  
_ **11:23 PM  
** _ATSUMU AND SAKUSA LITERALLY TOLD ME THEY’RE GONNA GO FUCK NOW THAT I’M MAKING THEM LEAVE I HATE IT HERE_

* * *

“What a game!” Kuroo calls with a laugh as the team floods into the room after their usual post-game press conference. The other family members and executives clap and cheer as well, calling their own praises as the Jackals smile and laugh and bow in gratitude before branching off to their respective visitors.

Kuroo, as per usual, reaches out and hooks an arm over Bokuto’s shoulders and ruffles his sweaty hair, gushing about his last serve before releasing him and looking around for Hinata.

Bokuto slips away from him in his moment of distraction, coming to stand beside Akaashi.

“Hey.”

“Hey, you were _great,_ Kou, brilliant,” Akaashi says, pulling him in for a hug. They don’t do much more under the watchful eyes of the rest of the executives, most of whom are of their parents’ generation and don’t necessarily approve of same-sex relationships, but Bokuto sneaks a quick kiss to Akaashi’s cheek as they part. “Brilliant as always,” Akaashi finishes with a smile.

“I can _not_ believe we pulled that off!” Bokuto says with a bright laugh. He lifts the towel that’s hanging around his neck to wipe his head. “Finished them off in the first three fucking matches!”

The game was almost notoriously short, the Jackals fighting their way through one deuce in the third match before being able to claim their victory.

“We’re just that amazing.” Atsumu and Sakusa join their circle. Atsumu high-fives Bokuto and then drapes himself over his brother, smiling at him. “How’d I do? ‘Samu, how was I? Wasn’t I great?”

“Bokuto and Sakusa played flawlessly, as usual,” Osamu says with a grunt, shoving his sweaty twin off his back. “You were fine.”

_“Fine?!”_

Everyone is smiling at Atsumu’s obvious distress, even Sakusa, whose eyes are crinkled and cheeks curved under his mask.

“I _hate_ you.”

“And yet, you keep inviting me to games. Why, exactly?”

“Beats me. You’re not getting another ticket from me again if you can’t _appreciate_ me.”

“I’ll hook you up,” Kuroo tells Osamu with a mischievous smile. “Let me know.”

“Kuroo-san! How could you?”

Kuroo hides his smile behind his glass as he takes another drink, winking at Atsumu.

Sakusa sighs and rolls his eyes.

Bokuto brushes against Akaashi’s side as he shifts his weight, and Akaashi subconsciously leans into him. Iwaizumi joins their group and Oikawa beams at him, simply holding his hand out. They’re all being careful, but Iwaizumi takes his hand and squeezes it before letting it drop and keeping just under what would be a respectable distance between himself and his boyfriend. Suna leans against the wall, talking to Sakusa as the two brothers’ argument fades into the background.

“Where are we celebrating tonight?” Hinata worms his way into their little circle, far from Kuroo, whose eyes take on a calculating look.

“Hinata.” He tries to wave him over.

“No.” Hinata sticks his tongue out at him and then looks back at Atsumu. “Where are we celebrating?”

“You’re not getting plastered tonight,” Iwaizumi tells him with a glare.

“That’s what you said last time,” Hinata reminds him with a dark smile, “and how well did that turn out?”

He’d thrown up in the club bathroom. Twice.

“Why do I even bother with you?”

“I really don’t know!” Hinata chirps.

Oikawa rests a sympathetic hand on Iwaizumi’s shoulder as Iwaizumi pinches the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, eyes closed.

“Downtown! The new place that’s open,” Atsumu addresses the group with a gleam in his eyes. “They’ve got a solid VIP section from what I’ve heard, so we’ll all be pretty safe. They’re pretty open, too,” Atsumu’s voice drops, “with everyone. You know? I’ve heard really good things.”

“Will Kenma be joining us?” Akaashi asks Kuroo. He and Kenma have grown really close over the past year he and Bokuto have been together, what with the amount of time Kuroo and Bokuto spend together, they really didn’t have a choice.

“Yeah. He wanted to come to the game, but he had a meeting that ran long with someone overseas.” Kuroo pulls out his phone and scans the screen. “He said they’re about done, and let him know what the plans for post-game are.”

Akaashi smiles and nods. He likes Kenma.

“Meet in an hour?” Osamu proposes, and everyone nods. 

“We’ll check with everyone else in the locker room, see if anyone else wants to tag along,” Hinata adds.

“An hour. I’ll have my eyes on you,” Iwaizumi shoots Hinata a look, who quickly hides behind Oikawa, “go shower, you assholes. You all _stink.”_

“Aw, Iwa-chan, so _mean,”_ Oikawa says with a laugh.

“He’s right,” Sakusa says. “I’m going to shower.”

“Can I join you?”

The glare Sakusa shoots at Atsumu seems to drop the room’s temperature several degrees, but Atsumu simply laughs him off.

“See you in an hour, then,” Bokuto says quietly to Akaashi. The rest of the team seem to have the same idea, and a lot of them start saying their goodbyes to their families and supporters and heading for the locker room.

Akaashi looks at Bokuto with a soft smile and nods, and Bokuto leans against him again and presses a soft kiss to the side of his head before dragging Atsumu off in a headlock. Hinata and Sakusa say their goodbyes as well, and then Hinata pounces on Atsumu’s back and points to the locker room with a shout of “onward, trusty steed!”

* * *

 **_@fridayofficial_ ** ☑️ _Friday Tabloid  
_ _Posted at 4:31 AM  
_ _Seems the Jackals’ celebration last night got a little out of hand! Check out the link for exclusive pictures of what might be our newest celebrity couple!  
_ _[Attached link]_

 **_Trending Topics on Twitter: Celebrities  
_** _Bokuto Koutarou  
_ _Akaashi Keiji  
_ _MSBY Jackals  
_ _Gay rights Japan_

* * *

It’s not often Akaashi wakes up with a hangover, but his head is throbbing before his eyes even open. Everyone had gone a little overboard, even Iwaizumi was more laid back than usual, less worried about the team and focused more on his flamboyant boyfriend, letting himself be dragged onto the dance floor, and Akaashi doesn’t really remember seeing him at all for the rest of the night.

In fact, he doesn’t remember _anything_ after that point from last night.

Akaashi wakes up in Bokuto’s room, his boyfriend still deep asleep beside him, though there’s enough light coming in through the sheer curtains that Akaashi figures it’s getting close to afternoon, if it isn’t already.

There’s a familiar ache in his lower back as he rolls over and curls against Bokuto’s bare back, fingers skimming the red marks down his spine before he presses against them and rests an arm over Bokuto’s waist.

Bokuto doesn’t wake, not really, he just grumbles and absently holds Akaashi’s hand, snuggling back into him.

Akaashi is warm, and comfortable, and he’s _this_ close to going back to sleep when his phone vibrates loudly on the side table. He rolls over with a groan and Bokuto grumbles again, moving his head against the pillow before settling back into sleep.

Akaashi’s phone screen is _flooded_ with text messages and missed calls. His agent, his manager, his mom…

Kenma’s name pops up, too, with a short text, _call me_ , and Kuroo asking if they’re okay, and Atsumu warning him to _avoid twitter. Seriously._

 **From: Amaya (X’ile)  
** **8:53 AM  
** _Akaashi, what the hell did you do last night? Call me.  
_ _[attached link]  
_ _Akaashi, seriously.  
_ _Akaashi Keiji. Call me.  
_ _The agency is freaking out. I need you to call me.  
_ _[7 missed calls]_

Akaashi rubs his eyes to clear them and then clicks on the link, watching the little blue bar at the top of his screen load with bated breath. He has absolutely no idea what to expect.

Akaashi’s fingers freeze over the screen, and he doesn’t breathe for a second, a minute, an hour as he stares at the headline.

 **Supermodel Akaashi Keiji and MSBY Black Jackals’ Bokuto Koutarou spotted getting a little too handsy in new** **_Reign_ ** **Club in Downtown Tokyo.  
** _[Attached images]_

Oh no.

Oh _no._

Akaashi’s heart drops as he scrolls through the images.

It feels like he’s watching last night through a movie screen, he doesn’t even remember it, that _can’t_ be him, but it _is._ His and Bokuto’s faces are so clear in the pictures, there’s no way to say that it’s _not_ them.

The first is fairly tame, when compared to the rest, at least. Both of them standing at a tall table, drinks in their hands, Bokuto’s arm around Akaashi’s waist and Akaashi against his chest, both of them laughing. Kuroo and Kenma are beside them, but their faces have been blurred.

The second is of Bokuto holding Akaashi’s back right up to his chest, taking his drink out of his hand and setting it on the table.

The next ones, though, are what make Akaashi feel _sick._

They’re on the dance floor, smiling, faces close. Bokuto’s arms are wrapped around Akaashi’s waist and Akaashi has one hand tangled in Bokuto’s hair, angling his head down while his own chin is tilted up. The next one is similar, only Akaashi has his face hidden in Bokuto’s neck while Bokuto is laughing at something. Their friends are still around them, and Akaashi is only able to tell because of the clothes they’re all wearing, their faces are blurred. Oikawa, Iwaizumi, Hinata, Kuroo, Kenma, and Atsumu are there, though no one who wasn’t there would be able to tell it’s them.

Then there’s a picture of them kissing, full-on kissing, pressed right up against each other on the dance floor while people move in blurs around them. Then there’s Bokuto standing holding Akaashi to his chest again, one arm tight around his waist while he kisses his neck. Akaashi has his head tilted back and his eyes closed with one hand fisted in Bokuto’s hair.

There are more pictures. There are so many more but Akaashi can’t look at them, can’t read the article, because his hands are shaking and he can’t breathe and that’s _them_ , on display for the whole world, after 15 months of successfully keeping their little secret.

Akaashi feels like he was ripped open. He feels vulnerable. He feels scared.

He feels the same amount of panic he had when a fan broke into his apartment a few months ago and was waiting for Akaashi to get home from a schedule, sitting on his couch as if he owned the place. Akaashi had stayed at Bokuto’s for _weeks_ , too afraid to be alone.

“Koutarou,” Akaashi breathes. _“Koutarou_ ,"he says more insistently, sitting up. He ignores the pounding in his head, eyes glued to the screen.

It’s like a train wreck. He wants to look away, but he _can’t_. He’s watching his own demise.

 _“Bokuto Koutarou.”_ Akaashi grabs his pillow and slams it over Bokuto’s head, listening as his boyfriend whimpers and rolls over, squinting at him.

“What?”

“Kou, _look.”_ Akaashi thrusts his phone into Bokuto’s hands and then draws his knees up, resting his forehead on them. The comforter pools around him, warm but no longer safe.

“What…” Bokuto’s voice fades and he lets out a soft _“oh, oh shit”_ as he scrolls through the pictures.

After a minute Bokuto lets the phone fall onto the bed and he lets out a sigh, looking up at the ceiling. “I mean, at least we looked good, right?”

“Are you fucking kidding me, Koutarou?” Akaashi whips his head up and stares at him with wide eyes. _“That’s_ what you’re focusing on? What the hell are we going to do?”

“I don’t fucking know, Keiji!” Bokuto snaps, and then he runs both hands down his face as he takes a deep breath. “Sorry, sorry.”

“There go our careers,” Akaashi laments. Frustrated tears build in his eyes. “There goes _everything.”_

Bokuto lays there in silence, still looking at nothing on the ceiling. His eyes seem out of focus and then he takes a shaky breath, exhaling slowly.

“We have to… we have to call someone.”

“I need to call my manager,” Akaashi murmurs. “The agency is going to _kill_ me.”

“I don’t… who do _I_ even call? Coach? Meian?” Bokuto rolls over and grabs his own phone off the table on his side of the bed, and he sighs. “Oh, _shit.”_

Akaashi grabs his phone as it starts to ring again, and his manager is talking his ear off immediately.

 _“A club, Akaashi? What were you thinking?!”_ She asks, frazzled and out of breath. _“Akaashi Keiji, you’re_ smarter _than this! This is exactly what we agreed should never happen!”_

“I know, I know,” Akaashi slips out of bed and grabs a pair of underwear out of the drawer of Bokuto’s dresser that’s his now, along with a pair of sweatpants. He pulls on one of Bokuto’s stray hoodies from the floor of the room and walks into the hallway. Bokuto’s voice fades behind him, also on the phone with someone. “I don’t know what happened. I don’t even remember anything.”

_“Akaashi, the media’s having a fucking field day. You’ve already lost campaigns.”_

Akaashi feels the tears forming again as he collapses on the couch, curling up against the armrest. His pants and Bokuto’s shirt and jacket from last night are on the floor beside him, almost mocking him.

_Remember. Remember what you did._

_I don’t._

_“Where are you right now? Who have you talked to?”_

“No one, yet. I’m at Bokuto’s.”

 _“I’m going to come get you and take you home, and you’re going to stay there until I know what the plan is, and stay_ off Twitter. _Don’t say_ anything. _Understand?”_

Akaashi swallows thickly. “Yeah, yeah I got it.”

She hangs up and Akaashi sits there, phone in his hands in his lap, not really looking at anything.

Bokuto comes into the room then and sits on the couch, too, against the opposite arm.

“Our manager just ripped me apart. Called a team meeting this afternoon with everyone--the team, staff, trainers, PR…”

“Mine’s on her way, and I’ll probably get the same in the car.”

Bokuto looks up. “You’re leaving?”

“She said I need to stay home until the agency has a plan for how to handle this.” Akaashi sinks into the couch and covers his face with his hands as the tears finally win, and then he feels Bokuto’s hands on his, gently pulling them away from his face. Akaashi sits up and leans against Bokuto as he cries.

Bokuto’s heart is racing, too, and he’s shaking just as much, and when Akaashi looks up his eyes are red-rung with tears.

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not like it was your fault,” Akaashi shakes his head and takes Bokuto’s hand, kissing it softly. He wipes away the tears that landed on it and then reaches up and swipes a tear away as it rolls down Bokuto’s cheek. “I don’t think it was mine either.”

“We were in VIP the whole night, I thought we were _safe,”_ Bokuto says with a sigh. He sniffles.

Akaashi rests his head on Bokuto’s shoulder, still holding Bokuto’s hand as Bokuto’s other arm wraps around his shoulders, cradling him close. “I did too.”

They sit together in silence until Akaashi’s manager gets there. She lets him know that she’s in the parking garage.

“My manager says there are a ton of paparazzi outside,” Akaashi warns Bokuto as he puts his shoes on, sitting on the step of the genkan. “So just be careful.”

Bokuto kneels behind him and wraps his arms around him. “Are you going to be okay getting to the car?”

“She’s in the parking garage. No one even knows who she is, and the building security is doing good keeping everyone out. She thinks I can leave without anyone seeing me.”

Bokuto presses a soft kiss to Akaashi’s shoulder and lingers, taking a couple of deep breaths.

“Hey,” Bokuto grasps his chin gently and turns his head to face him. “I love you. Call me later?”

Akaashi swallows and nods, leaning his forehead against Bokuto’s. “I love you, too.”

“Call me,” Bokuto whispers again, almost desperate. “Later. And let me know when you’re home?”

“I will,” Akaashi promises. His phone goes off again and he stands. Bokuto steps down into the genkan with him and pulls him in for a gentle kiss. Akaashi leans into it, lets himself get lost in Bokuto for a minute before stepping back. Bokuto grabs his coat from the closet and Akaashi pulls it on, hiding Bokuto’s hoodie underneath. Bokuto hands him his backpack, and Akaashi tugs him forward by his t-shirt for one more kiss before he pulls his mask on and slips out the door.

He takes the back stairs, away from the main entrance, and manages to make it to the parking garage without running into anyone. A few security guards usher him into the car when he gets there, shielding him from potentially being seen by any paparazzi, and then his manager quickly pulls out of the garage and onto the main road.

In front of the apartment complex are a ton of reporters and people with cameras, but thanks to the blacked-out windows of the car and the distance of the parking garage from the main door, they get no attention as they leave.

Akaashi pulls out his phone and sends another warning text to Bokuto to be careful, and then he leans his head against the window, watching the buildings fly by as his manager drives him home.

He feels himself starting to fall apart again and his manager, sensing his distress, reaches over and gently takes his hand.

They’re quite close, he and his manager, from working together almost since Akaashi first started at X’ile. She’s been in the business longer than he has, and as much as he knows a scandal like this can ruin people’s lives, she knows so much better.

She squeezes his hand and drives in silence.

* * *

 **_@jackalsschedules_ ** _MSBY Jackals’ schedules  
_ _Posted at 8:09 AM  
_ _I’m so surprised. I never thought this would happen in a million years. I need to take a break before I commit to continuing to support him…_

 **_@polipolipoli_ ** _Certified Mom Friend™  
_ _Posted at 9:27 AM  
_ _Their sexualities have nothing to do with them as people and their work ethics. Get over it._

 **_@akasunaftw_ ** _....?  
_ _Posted at 10:11 AM  
_ _Lol Akaashi and this Bokuto guy aren’t going to last. For fuck’s sake this guy doesn’t even know him like Suna does. This is all bullshit this has to be some weird promo thing._

 **_@jackalsfan21_ ** _Hinata best player in V1!!  
_ _Posted at 11:42 AM  
_ _So upsetting to hear and see. Especially after such a great game last night. Bokuto was one of my favorites, but after learning this I won’t be able to support him anymore. Can’t believe he’d choose such a disgusting lifestyle._

 **_@iloveakaashi_ ** _AKAASHI IS A LEGEND AND IN THIS ESSAY I WI  
_ _Posted at 11:47 AM  
_ _Y’ALL THINK I’M GONNA SUPPORT A GAY BITCH?? LMFAOOOOO [rest]  
_ _[account deactivated]_

 **_@xilemom_ ** _Love and Support Oikawa Tooru Or Else  
_ _Posted at 12:12 PM  
_ _At least now we know why his schedules always included Jackals games…_

 **_@mochibabiiiiiiii_ ** _Jennie  
_ _Posted at 12:13 PM  
_ _Someone needs to just eradicate all gay people from this earth tbh ion wanna see that shit_

 **_@oiakakings_ ** _Oikawa Akaashi REAL  
_ _Posted at 12:15 PM  
_ _If you don’t still support him just because he’s into men you’re a PUSSY and we’re glad you’re gone._

 **_@jayjayjet_ ** _I really like milk idk idk  
_ _Posted at 12:16 PM  
_ _I hope Akaashi is thinking this through. Has he any idea how bad this is going to be for future jobs? He’s seriously not going to throw it away like this is he? Disappointing._

 **_@jb04_ ** _So meian’s a DADDY i’m glad u agree  
_ _Posted at 12:19 PM  
_ _Can’t believe the Jackals let someone like THAT on their team. I’m out._

 **_@chrysanthemum_ ** _Chrysanthemums are cool  
_ _Posted at 12:26 PM  
_ _I’m fucking devastated. Of all people he could have chosen it had to be a guy AND some weird volleyball pro player. What the fuck? Akaashi’s got to be on something._

 **_@choclatiertendou_ ** _Tendou Satori  
_ _Posted at 12:32 PM  
_ _Meet me in the Wendy’s parking lot, bitch. SEE if you can get rid of ME.  
_ _[Quote tweet: @_ _mochibabiiiiiiii  
_ _Someone needs to just eradicate all gay people from this earth tbh ion wanna see that shit]_

 **_@boombxtch_ ** _Nishinoya Yuu  
_ _Posted at 12:34 PM  
_ _@choclatiertendou lmk what time ima roll up_

 **_@chocolatiertendou_ ** _Tendou Satori  
_ _Posted at 12:35 PM  
_ _@boombxtch YESSSSSSSSSS_

* * *

 ** _@sunshinehinata_** ☑️ _Hinata Shoyo  
_ _Posted at 1:17 PM  
_ _Taking out the trash_ 🤩 ✨  
 _Quote tweet: @jackalsfan21  
_ _[So upsetting to hear and see. Especially after such a great game last night. Bokuto was one of my favorites, but after learning this I won’t be able to support him anymore. Can’t believe he’d choose such a disgusting lifestyle.]_

 ** _@sunshinehinata_** ☑️ _Hinata Shoyo  
_ _Posted at 1:18 PM  
_ _@jackalsfan21 take my name and number out of your fucking account. If you don’t support one of us, you don’t support any of us._

 ** _@atsumu4u_** ☑️ _Miya Atsumu  
_ _Posted at 1:48 PM  
_ _Spring cleaning_ 😍 🙏 _don’t come back_ ❤️  
 _Quote tweet: @jb04  
_ _[Can’t believe the Jackals let someone like THAT on their team. I’m out.]_

 ** _@sunasunasuna_** ☑️ _Suna Rintarou  
_ _Posted at 2:04 PM  
_ _You don’t have to “make a statement.” If you don’t like it then just go lmao don’t let the door hit you on your way out_ ❤️

 ** _@sakusaomi_** ☑️ _Sakusa Kiyoomi  
_ _Posted at 2:29 PM  
_ _Volleyball and all sports should be inclusive to EVERYONE. There is no room for hate, especially not on our team. I’m proud to call myself Bokuto-san’s friend._

 ** _@kingoikawa_** ☑️ _Oikawa Tooru  
_ _Posted at 2:58 PM  
_ _Oh we’re going to start killing gay people just for being gay?? Me first me first!! I dare u to try and get through my big strong boyfriend_ ❤️ ❤️ _he has the biggest dick (energy) you’ve ever seen!!!!! It’s so sexy of him_ 🥵 🥵 🥵

 ** _@capmeian_** ☑️ _Shugo Meian  
_ _Posted at 3:32 PM  
_ _Bokuto is a great player and an even better friend. This is something no one had any right to “expose” in this way. I can only hope everyone understands just how wrong this whole situation is, and how fucked up it is in every possible way. Bokuto and Akaashi have my full support today, tomorrow, and always._

* * *

Bokuto can’t bring himself to look at anyone. He sits quietly in a chair, leaning against the wall, eyes on the floor. The hood of his sweatshirt is up and he’s only half listening to the managers addressing the room as a whole. Atsumu sits on the floor beside him and Hinata is in the next chair to his left, both of them glaring daggers at their PR manager.

The rest of the team sits in the chairs along the front row, and the their main staff fills the rest of the room, sitting in the remaining chairs and leaning against walls with a few of the volleyball association executives scattered around.

“The fuck you mean, ‘radio silence?’” Atsumu snaps. “We’re not allowed on our own accounts now?”

“None of you can address this until our account and the official association have made the statements,” their PR manager says.

Meian sighs and bites his lip, his normal angry habit. He glances at Bokuto and Bokuto flinches. He doesn’t want anyone to look at him.

“Bullshit,” he says after a minute.

“Yeah. Fucking bullshit,” Hinata repeats. “You’ve seen what they’re saying about him. About _all_ of us.”

“He’s a member of our family,” Inunaki says quietly. “We’re not just going to... _sit by_ and let them say that.”

“We’re handling it!”

“No, you’re not!” Atsumu shoots back. “These people are fucking _insane._ I’ve gotten death threats just for supporting him, they don’t even know _I’m_ gay yet. They don’t know half the fucking _team_ is gay! Do better ‘handling it.’”

“He’s right,” Meian speaks up again. “They can’t get away with this.”

“They won’t,” their coach assures him. “We already have people trying to track down whoever took the original photos, and we’re going to get compensation.”

 _“Compensation?_ How about a fucking apology?” Hinata snaps, seething. “They infringed on his private time, in his private life, exposing his relationship. That’s not _fair.”_

“No, it’s not.” Their PR manager speaks up again. “But it’s happened, and now we have to do the best damage control that we can.”

Atsumu lets out a frustrated breath. Hinata sulks in his chair, anxiously tapping his fingers against his thigh.

“What if I...” Hinata takes a breath. “What if I made a statement? What if I came out, too? Take some of the heat.”

“Absolutely not.” The PR manager stops him immediately. 

“Let them come after me, what’s the worst they could do? Kageyama agrees! It would help, wouldn’t it?”

“Hinata, don’t,” Bokuto says softly. “Please don’t do that for me. You don’t want this.”

“I want to _help.”_

“The best way you can help is by using your one brain cell to _listen to us.”_ Their head coach snaps. “Stay off Twitter, keep this... _situation_ out of your mouths, and let us handle it or I’ll be taking _all_ of your phones.”

“If you came out it would only fuel the hate against the team as a whole. Everyone else who is not heterosexual, don’t do anything stupid,” their PR manager says with finality. 

Hinata deflates.

“We’ll be making a statement in full support, later once we’ve had time to draft it and once we’ve talked to _Friday.”_ Bokuto flinches again at the mention of the tabloid. “I’m serious, guys. No one talk about this. Don’t interact with anyone any more than you already have. We’re also in discussion with X’ile about how to properly address this. Radio silence.” She shifts her gaze. “Especially you, Bokuto-san.”

Everyone’s eyes are suddenly on Bokuto and it’s _too much_ , it’s suffocating, and Atsumu rests a hand on his knee as if he senses Bokuto’s distress.

“Bokuto-san?”

“Give him a minute,” Sakusa says quietly. “He’s going through a lot right now.”

Bokuto catches Iwaizumi’s eye from where he’s leaning against the opposite wall, arms crossed over his chest. He looks appropriately angered and concerned. Bokuto bites his lower lip and looks to the front of the room, where their head manager, head coach, and PR manager are all looking earnestly at him.

“I understand,” he says, voice low and gravely. He scratches his neck, and then one of the volleyball executives starts talking, and Bokuto tunes him right back out, slouching in his chair.

They’re dismissed another half hour later, but Bokuto knows everyone is waiting for him, to see what he’s going to do, maybe see if he’s going to cry (again, because he absolutely _broke_ after Akaashi left his apartment, showing up to the meeting with red, swollen eyes and a headache and a half-drank water bottle), so he stays in his seat and keeps his head down. Hinata and Atsumu stay with him as the room empties, Sakusa quietly tells Atsumu that he’ll text him later as he passes them. The whole team makes sure to come up to Bokuto and express their support, briefly, which Bokuto appreciates, before leaving him alone. A few of the staff give him grave nods as they pass, and then Iwaizumi approaches him, kneeling on the floor with Atsumu, forearms propped against his knees.

“Last I heard from him, Oikawa was on his way to Akaashi’s,” he says quietly.

“Good,” Bokuto breathes out, “good. He shouldn’t be alone right now.”

“You can’t go see him?” Hinata asks, and Bokuto feels tears prick his eyes again.

“No. They told us both to stay at our apartments so we’re easy to reach while this whole thing plays out.”

Bokuto props his elbows on his knees and hides his face in his hands. “I’m so fucking sorry, you guys,” he says, voice breaking. “You’re all in trouble, too.”

“I don’t give a shit what they say about me,” Atsumu says gently with a smile. “Not a single shit.”

“No fucks in sight,” Hinata agrees.

“You should head home, I know this is a lot,” Iwaizumi tells him. “Drink some water, take some aspirin, eat something. Keep yourself going.” His voice softens. “Easier said than done, I know. But try, for me. For Akaashi, okay?”

Bokuto swallows thickly and nods.

“We’ve got him,” Atsumu says quietly. “Bokuto, ready to head out?”

Bokuto nods again and stands slowly out of the chair, stretching his arms over his head with a sigh.

“I’ll pick up some takeout and meet you guys back home,” Hinata says, standing too. Atsumu and Iwaizumi both stand as well, bracing their hands on their knees and rising with soft groans.

“You don’t have to do that.”

Hinata waves him off. “Akaashi shouldn’t be alone right now, and neither should you. Any preferences?”

Bokuto shakes his head.

“I’ll figure something out, then. Good hangover food, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m still miserable.”

“Felt that,” Atsumu says under his breath. He loops his arm through Bokuto’s and they start walking towards the door.

“It’s like you _like_ having hangovers,” Iwaizumi sighs. “You do this every time.”

“Because it’s fun in the moment! Live in the moment, Iwaizumi!” Hinata prods, poking Iwaizumi’s arm repeatedly.

They all separate in the parking garage, heading towards their separate cars.

“You’ll get through this,” Atsumu tells him quietly after they’ve left the parking garage. Safe in the garage, once outside security had to hold paparazzi away from Atsumu’s car in order for him to be able to actually begin the journey home. The colorful language spilling from Atsumu’s lips during the moment made Bokuto smile briefly, and Atsumu had shot him a pleased look, sunglasses low on his nose, before pushing them back up to drive. “You both will. And you’ve got us. The team, Oikawa and Suna, Osamu, too, called me this morning. I haven’t heard him that angry about something that didn’t involve me in a long time.”

“Thanks,” Bokuto says softly. “Appreciate it.”

Atsumu lightly punches his shoulder. “I’m not leaving you to fight off the vultures alone, my friend.”

* * *

 **_@bokutosleftasscheek_ ** _Bokuto’s personal caretaker_ 🥵 😏  
 _Posted at 3:59 PM  
_ _It’s gotta be a promotional thing. Bokuto’s a PRO VOLLEYBALL PLAYER, ffs, there’s no way he’d end up with a bitch model like that, esp not a man. Mark my words, guys, it’s a promo thing._

 ** _@ellemp_ ** _Elle  
_ _Posted at 4:05 PM  
_ _I’m literally so disappointed rn. Akaashi went for some brainless sports guy over Oikawa? Shit even Suna? Wow, talk about lowering your standards._

 **_@choclatiertendou_ ** _Tendou Satori  
_ _Posted at 4:11 PM  
_ _Honey have you ever picked up any sort of sports ball in your life? Any?? At all?? Ever even seen one??  
_ _[Quote tweet: @ellemp  
_ _I’m literally so disappointed rn. Akaashi went for some brainless sports guy over Oikawa? Shit even Suna? Wow, talk about lowering your standards.]_

 ** _@chrysanthemumumumum_ ** _Chrysanthemums are cool  
_ _Posted at 4:13 PM  
_ _Akaashi likes men? Omg get well soon king_ 🙏 _praying for a quick recovery_

 **_@bokutosleftasscheek_ ** _Bokuto’s personal caretaker_ 🥵 😏  
 _Posted at 4:20 PM  
_ _Bokuto come here and eat me out and i’ll remind u how straight u actually are_ 😏 😏

 **_@boombxtch_ ** _Nishinoya Yuu  
_ _Posted at 4:23 PM  
_ _Some of you really need to go outside. See the sun. Have you seen the sun? Leave your depression cage for a while bby vitamin C is actually important and you can’t get it from the fluorescents of your laptop screen  
_ _[Quote tweet: @bokutosleftasscheek  
_ _Bokuto come here and eat me out and i’ll remind u how straight u actually are_ 😏 😏 _]_

 **_@bitchboyoikawa_ ** _.  
_ _Posted at 4:38 PM  
_ _Call me crazy, but i don’t think we can judge them at all bc we’re just?? Fans?? They have their own lives?? Lmao_

 ** _@kingoikawa_** ☑️ _Oikawa Tooru  
_ _Posted at 4:51 PM  
_ _I like you. I’m gonna keep you.  
_ _Quote tweet: @bitchboyoikawa  
_ _[Call me crazy, but i don’t think we can judge them at all bc we’re just?? Fans?? They have their own lives?? Lmao]_

 **_@bitchboyoikawa_ ** _.  
_ _Posted at 4:52 PM  
_ _GUYSALKJSDFLKASDFASFLAKSJDLFKJ/?????????????  
_ _Quote tweet: @kingoikawa  
_ _[I like you. I’m gonna keep you.]_

 **_@polipolipoli_ ** _Certified Mom Friend™  
_ _Posted at 4:59 PM  
_ _@boombxtch WHO ARE YOU YOU’RE MY FUCKING HERO_

 **_@boombxtch_ ** _Nishinoya Yuu  
_ _Posted at 5:21 PM  
_ 😎 😎 😎  
 _[Quote tweet: @polipolipoli  
_ _@boombxtch WHO ARE YOU YOU’RE MY FUCKING HERO]_

* * *

Akaashi flinches as he hears the lock to his apartment click, and then the door opens.

“Kei-chan?” Oikawa calls softly. The door shuts, and Oikawa shuffles out of his shoes. “You in here?”

“Yeah,” Akaashi says back. His voice is rough and scratchy the way it always is after he cries. He stands up and meets Oikawa just outside the genkan and just stands there for a minute, looking at him.

“Oh, honey,” Oikawa steps towards him, arms open. “Come here.”

Akaashi feels himself start to break again as he steps into the hug and Oikawa squeezes him, holding him tight, chin on his head as Akaashi hides his face against Oikawa’s shoulder and lets himself cry.

“You…” Akaashi sobs after a minute. “You _outed_ yourself for me.”

“Of course I did,” Oikawa says soothingly. “Can’t let you take all the credit, here.”

“You _outed_ yourself. For me. _Why?”_

“I couldn’t let you take everything. They’re horrible.” Oikawa’s arms tighten around Akaashi as a fresh round of tears spill down his cheeks as Akaashi is reminded of his twitter feed. “It’s horrible, and it’s not fair. What kind of friend would I be if I let you get run over by the bus alone? Gotta throw myself down there, too. Because I love you.”

Oikawa doesn’t say anything else, just holds Akaashi and rubs his shoulders and sways them slowly from side to side until he calms back down.

“Suna said he can come over later, too, if you want him to.” Oikawa says softly, loosening his hold on Akaashi.

“That’s a bit of a drive for him, he doesn’t have to do that.” Akaashi shakes his head, shaking against Oikawa.

“He knows he doesn’t,” Oikawa runs a soothing hand through Akaashi’s hair. “He offered. He _wants to_. He’s worried, and he wants to help. We all do.”

“Thank you,” Akaashi whispers, and Oikawa takes his hand and leads him to the couch, sitting down.

“Talk to me?”

“What is there to say? It’s all out there now.” Oikawa shifts closer. They’re both sitting cross-legged on the couch, knees touching, facing each other. “Everything. I’ve already lost that sports campaign for next fall.”

Oikawa snorts. “Ironic.” 

“I know.” Akaashi tries to offer him a smile, but Oikawa’s face says everything about what his expression ended up being, so he gives up. “I know my manager said to stay off Twitter, but…”

“Oh, Keiji. You didn’t.” Oikawa tilts his head.

Akaashi lets out a shaky breath and rubs at his eyes. He’s tired of crying. “Can you blame me? I just want to know what’s happening. What they’re saying about me. About… about Kou.” Akaashi lets his head drop into his hands. “It’s so fucking bad.”

Oikawa reaches out and lays a comforting hand on Akaashi’s shoulder.

“With everything going on, my other campaigns, New York, the Olympic scouting...” Akaashi sucks in a breath and his head whips up, looking distantly somewhere over Oikawa’s shoulder. “Oh, oh _shit.”_

“What, what?” Oikawa grabs Akaashi’s hand and makes him look at him. “What’s the _oh shit_ for?”

“The _Olympics.”_ Akaashi gives up, keeling over and crying. “They’re _scouting_ , and I know Koutarou’s at the top of their list. That’s probably ruined, now. I’ve taken that from him-”

“You didn’t take _anything_ from him,” Oikawa insists. “Akaashi Keiji, listen to me. You didn’t do anything wrong. Neither of you did. It fucking sucks that it was you two, when me and Iwa-chan were in those pictures, too, just blurred for some reason. It could’ve been me and Iwa-chan under fire, it could’ve been Suna and Osamu, hell, it could’ve been Atsumu and Sakusa. But it’s _you._ Someone decided to pick on you last night, and I’m going to fucking _kill_ them for what they’ve done. It’s not your fault. _You didn’t do anything wrong.”_

“I just...” Akaashi breaks off with a sob again. “I love him so much.”

“I know.” Oikawa slides over on the couch and envelopes Akaashi in a hug. “I know you do.” Oikawa lets Akaashi cling to him and tuck his head under his chin, running a hand up and down his back. His fingers bump over the _12_ embroidered on the back of Bokuto’s MSBY hoodie that Akaashi hasn’t taken off since he got home. “I’m so sorry, Kei-chan.”

“I don’t know what to do,” Akaashi whispers through his tears. “What do I _do?”_

“I wish I could tell you,” Oikawa says sincerely. “I wish I had those answers for you. I really do.”

“Can you just stay with me? Please?”

Oikawa kisses the top of Akaashi’s head and squeezes him. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

* * *

 **@xilemodeling** ☑️ _X’ile Modeling  
_ _Posted at 7:00 PM  
_ _“X’ile Modeling was founded on a principle of no discrimination against any of our models, no matter their sexuality, race, orientation, or anything else. We stand in full support of all people, and we will protect our models from those who seek to harm them.” Read the full statement on our website.  
_ _[Attached link]_

 **@MSBYJackals** ☑️ _MSBY Black Jackals  
_ _Posted at 7:00 PM  
_ _“The MSBY Black Jackals are happy to support each and every person who enters our stadium--players, fans, and staff alike. There is absolutely zero discrimination on our team for anyone, and there is no room in our fanbase for any, either. The Jackals stand for love and support, and our team is like a family…” Read the full statement on our website.  
_ _[Attached link]_

 **@jpnvolleyball** ☑️ _Japanese Volleyball Association  
_ _Posted at 7:00 PM  
_ _“Volleyball is a sport that deserves to be played and enjoyed by all. We fully support people of all sexualities and orientations, standing with the government bill passed last January...” Read the full statement on our website.  
_ _[Attached link]_

 **@xilemodeling** ☑️ _X’ile Modeling  
_ _Posted at 7:05 PM  
_ _X’ile Modeling will be pursuing lawful actions against the instigators of this incident for infringing on Akaashi Keiji’s private life, as we have done in the past, and as we will continue doing in the future for him and all those under contract with us._

 **@MSBYJackals** ☑️ _MSBY Black Jackals  
_ _Posted at 7:05 PM  
_ _The MSBY Black Jackals’ legal team will be pursuing lawful actions against the instigators of this incident for infringing on Bokuto Koutarou’s private life. Bokuto Koutarou will remain a full and constant member of this team._

* * *

“Hey, man.” Kuroo holds up a takeout bag as a sort of offering, a gentle look on his face. Kenma stands silently beside him, somber. A few strands are falling out of his loose bun. Kuroo’s still in his suit from work. “We brought you dinner.”

“Thanks, yeah.” Bokuto runs a hand through his messy hair and takes a step back for Kuroo and Kenma to enter. They take off their shoes and shove them to the side, and then Kenma takes the bag from Kuroo and heads to the kitchen. He puts a hand on Bokuto’s upper arm as he passes and pauses for just a second, squeezing, before entering the kitchen. Bokuto hears soft murmuring as he greets Hinata and Atsumu.

“Hey,” Kuroo reaches towards him, openly concerned, “how are you? _Really?_ None of that bullshit you texted me about being strong and getting through it. I’m your best fucking friend, tell me how you are.”

Bokuto takes a deep breath as he tries to sort through the million and one thoughts running through his head and then just shakes his head, and Kuroo pulls him into a hug. Bokuto falls against him and lets out a shaky breath, wrapping his arms around his back and letting Kuroo comfort him the way he’s been doing since they met, first year of high school.

“It’s just so _fucked,”_ Bokuto whispers. He feels like he has no strength left.

“I know,” Kuroo squeezes him and rubs his shoulder. “I know. It’s so fucking fucked.”

“We’re going to head out,” Hinata interrupts quietly.

It occurs to Bokuto that they seem to be taking shifts staying with him, but that’s fine. He doesn’t really want to be alone right now, and he’s not allowed to see the one person he _actually_ wants to see, so he doesn’t really give a shit.

“Thanks for stopping by.” Bokuto straightens up and wipes his eyes, slightly embarrassed that he’s started crying, but he always feels so safe with Kuroo that he couldn’t really help it.

“Of course,” Hinata says as he shoves his feet into his shoes.

Atsumu clasps his shoulder, “let me know if you need anything, Omi and I are right upstairs,” and then they both slip out the front door.

Bokuto deflates and Kuroo gently steers him towards the kitchen, where Kenma has three plates and three sets of utensils already on the table.

“Come on, Bo, you’ve gotta eat.”

“It’s like you know I haven’t been eating.”

“It’s like our friendship is going on ten years, and I know you almost as well as I know my own husband, and better than I know myself.” Kuroo ruffles his hair affectionately. “Sit. Eat. Enjoy.” Kuroo gestures dramatically to the table and Kenma comes back with a couple glasses of water, setting them down.

He shoots Kuroo a look. “You’re so embarrassing.”

“Yes,” Kuroo agrees, and then all three of them start cracking open take-out containers and passing them around, filling their plates with what they want.

“How was work?” Bokuto asks after a few minutes of eating in relative silence. Kuroo and Kenma exchange a look. “I know you both know exactly what I’m asking. How bad is it?”

“You saw the Association’s statement, right?”

Bokuto nods, and Kuroo lets out a frustrated breath, absently running a hand through his hair. One of his fingers gets tangled in his permanent bedhead and Bokuto snorts, taking another bite.

“Oh, fuck me,” Kuroo pulls his finger out and then pats his head, fixing his hair. “Okay. Well, people are absolute fucking assholes.”

“Yes,” Kenma agrees simply.

 _“God,_ fucking...” Kuroo sighs again. “The office was all over the place. There were people who wanted you off the _team_ , for gods’ sake.”

Bokuto sucks in a breath, and Kenma shoots Kuroo a sharp look but continues eating in silence.

“Like, you know, ‘I support gay rights but having it in the open is different’ when I’m standing _right there.”_ Kuroo stands and goes to the fridge, pulling out a beer. “Want one?” He glances at Bokuto, who nods. Kenma shakes his head.

Kuroo grabs two beers and closes the fridge with his hip before returning to his seat.

“They all know about me, and there are a few others around the office who are out, too. There’s a cute girl and her significant other who work in another department, and they’re cute as hell. Wedding pictures so gorgeous I want them framed in our house.”

Kenma shoots him another look. “Gonna replace ours?”

“Yeah, totally.” Kuroo snorts and then takes a long drink of his beer. “But it’s like none of that mattered. Because _your_ name is big, and some of the older guys were all, like, ‘I think that having him out and confirming it will reflect badly on the team.’ Bullshit.”

“Bullshit,” Kenma echoes sharply. He punctuates his statement by setting his water glass back on the table just a touch too hard, sending a few water droplets to the wood surrounding it.

“So I’m there, arguing how your personal life _obviously_ doesn’t affect your playing ability, because _duh_ , but these fucking geezers are all about _looks_ , and the publicity, and they’re too concerned with the stocks and the funds to think about the fact that there’s an actual fucking _person_ being hurt and wrecked online.”

Bokuto flinches and takes a long drink of his beer.

_“Tetsurou.”_

“Sorry, sorry,” Kuroo glances at Kenma and then nods his head in apology to Bokuto, who waves him off. He knows what everyone’s saying about him. It’s not news.

He probably shouldn’t be looking at Twitter, but he can’t help it. The little blue app seems to mock him every damn time he opens his phone.

“We had a meeting right after lunch where the big boss told us about the support statement we’d be making, and it was pretty quiet in the room, but in the break room after some guy was going on and on about just how he ‘couldn’t understand it’ and how ‘gross it is’ and he was looking _right at me_ the whole fucking time.” Kuroo clenches his jaw and knocks back more of his beer. By how much he’s tilting it back, Bokuto can tell that most of it is already gone. 

Kenma sits quietly, but his movements are slow. Measured. Bokuto can see the way the chopsticks are shaking in his hand, recognizes the nervous tick in his eyebrow.

“Asking me how I can stand it. How _I_ can take another man into my bed and fuck him without feeling bad…” Kuroo takes a deep breath and squeezes the beer can.“I swear, I wanted to punch him _so_ bad.”

Kenma freezes and lowers his chopsticks, looking up at Kuroo with his head tilted to the side. 

“I didn’t,” Kuroo tells him quickly. “My boss walked in.”

Kenma sighs. “Good. You need that job.”

“He deserved it.”

“I’m sure.” Kenma resumes eating. “But you need that job.”

“Like you couldn’t support us if something happened.”

“Yes, something drastic. Not something like you getting fired for getting in a _fistfight_ as a full-fledged _adult.”_

“He _deserved_ it,” Kuroo repeats. “Talking shit about Bo, about me, about _you.”_

“It’s nothing we’re not used to,” Kenma says quietly.

Bokuto knows the looks that Kenma and Kuroo get when people see the rings, ask them about their wives, and learn that it’s the two of _them_ who are married instead. He knows the whispers that follow them, how people are so shocked that they can be so _open_ about “something like that,” something that seems like it shouldn’t be discussed despite all the protective laws passed for people like them. For anyone who isn’t cishet in their society.

“Shit still pisses me off.”

“And it won’t stop, but you need to learn to control yourself.”

“I _did._ He didn’t walk away with a black eye. I’d call that controlling myself.”

“Your boss walked in. What would you have done if he hadn’t?”

Kuroo doesn’t answer, choosing to finish his beer instead and then he gets up, tosses it, and makes his way back to the fridge.

Kenma scoffs. “Unbelievable.”

“This isn’t about me,” Kuroo snaps as he sits back down. He pops the top of his beer, takes a drink, and then leans his forearms against the table, beer can between his hands. “Point is, it’s not pretty.” He looks at Bokuto. Kenma’s still glaring at Kuroo. “It’s not pretty, but it’ll pass. This kind of shit always does.”

“Yeah,” Bokuto says with a heavy sigh. He finishes his beer too, and follows Kuroo’s lead in grabbing another one. “Eventually.”

“You’re staying on,” Kuroo assures him. “Your contract is still intact. You’re good.”

“I guess.” The contract is, frankly, the furthest thing from Bokuto’s mind right now.

Kuroo falls silent, and none of them touch any more of their meals. 

They end up migrating over to the couch for a movie. There’s still a bit of tension between Kenma and Kuroo, Kuroo’s arm draped over the back of the couch instead of resting on Kenma’s shoulders like it normally would be, and while Bokuto knows that Kuroo’s impulsiveness versus Kenma’s overall passiveness has been a topic of argument for the two of them a lot he can’t help but feel responsible this time.

 **From: Iwaizumi  
** **9:06 PM  
** _Oikawa’s still over there. He’s texting me and he’s definitely drunk, which means that he’s not going to be able to control anything Akaashi’s doing. If he’s this drunk, Akaashi’s gotta be plastered too. Just a warning._

Before Bokuto can think of what could come from a drunk Akaashi that could be any more damaging than what’s already happened, Akaashi’s name flashes across his screen.

 **From: Keijiiiiiiiii** ❤❤❤  
 **9:07 PM  
** _I’m so sprry  
_ _Kou I’m so sotry  
_ _This it all mt failt_

Bokuto stands and sets his third beer of the night aside, muttering “I’ll be right back” before slipping into his bedroom and closing the door behind him. He calls Akaashi.

 _“I’m so sorry,”_ Akaashi answers. _“Kou, Koutarou, please.”_

He’s _definitely_ drunk off his ass. Bokuto’s never heard him slur so much before.

“No, no, Keiji, baby,” Bokuto sits down on his bed, “baby, hey, it wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t anyone’s.”

 _“I never drink that much.”_ Akaashi says shakily. _“I know better. I do. I don’t know what I was thinking, it’s all my fault.”_

“No-”

_“If I’d just stayed a little more sober-”_

_“Stop_ , Keiji,” Bokuto says firmly. “Stop. It wasn’t your fault. I could’ve stayed more sober. You could’ve stayed more sober. We could’ve gone to a different club, or we could’ve just gone home. There are so many things that could’ve happened that didn’t, okay? There were so many factors, it wasn’t either of our faults. I promise.”

Akaashi is silent for a moment, and then, _“you hate me.”_

“What?”

 _“Or you’re going to.”_ Akaashi sniffles. _“They’re scouting. The Olympics. They won’t even look at you now, because of me. Because you’re dating me.”_

“We haven’t confirmed anything. No one has.”

 _“It’s not that hard to put the pieces together,”_ Akaashi says with a bitter laugh. _“All the evidence is there. I’ve been going to your games regularly for almost a year. We interacted on Twitter all the time.”_

“Keiji-”

 _“The Olympics have been your dream for years.”_ Akaashi’s crying now, and just listening to it and knowing he isn’t there right now is breaking Bokuto in half. _“You were so close. You were so high on their list, we all know it. But now-”_

“The Olympics are the furthest fucking thing from my mind right now.” Bokuto cuts him off. He stands and walks around his room, running his free hand through his hair and tugging on it to try and keep his own tears at bay. “You’re all I fucking care about, Keiji. It’s always you. It’s _only_ you.”

_“Don’t say that.”_

“Why not? It’s true.” Bokuto sinks into the armchair by his window and curls up. “Yeah, the Olympics would be great. It would be fucking awesome. But do you want to know what my dream is right now?”

Akaashi hums.

Bokuto leans his head against his hand, elbow propped on the arm of the chair. “I want to marry you, Akaashi Keiji. _That’s_ my dream.”

 _“Oh my god,”_ Akaashi says, and then he’s crying again. _“Oh my god, Koutarou. I love you.”_

“I love you too,” Bokuto smiles and wipes his eyes. “Not exactly the proposal I was planning on.”

 _“I want to,”_ Akaashi says, voice breaking. _“I want to marry you. I do.”_

“Good,” Bokuto says with a small smile, voice tight. “That takes some of the pressure off. I’ll ask you sometime, for real.”

_“I’ll say yes.”_

“I figured.” Bokuto shifts in the chair, finding a new spot. “What are you doing right now?”

_“Oh, I’m in my room. Oikawa’s in the living room, I think he’s on the phone with Iwaizumi, poor guy.”_

“Mhm. And how much have you had to drink?”

 _“Not… much.”_ Akaashi clears his throat. _“I’m not doing anything stupid.”_

“Except blaming yourself for this.”

 _“I can’t help it,”_ Akaashi murmurs.

“I know,” Bokuto says with a slow exhale. “I know, trust me. I’m doing it too. But we _both_ need to stop, okay? Placing blame isn’t going to help either of us at this point, what’s done is done. Right?”

Akaashi sighs. _“Right. What’s done is done.”_

“Exactly,” Bokuto murmurs, “good. Can you do something for me?”

_“Anything, Kou.”_

Bokuto smiles. “Drink some water?”

Akaashi sighs again, loudly, and it ends with a groan. _“But the kitchen is so far.”_

“I know, but if you don’t you’ll feel like shit in the morning, you know that.” Akaashi just groans again. “Keiji, please? For me?”

 _“Fine, fine-whoa.”_ Something thumps on the other end of the line and then Akaashi says, _“I’m good, I’m good, I’m up.”_

Bokuto hears him talking to Oikawa and helps him talk Oikawa into laying down on the couch for bed, with the help of Iwaizumi still on the call with Oikawa, and eventually Akaashi sinks down in bed, nightstand filled with painkillers and a full glass of water.

“I love you,” Bokuto says again. He doesn’t know how many times he’s said it tonight, but he’ll keep saying it as long as Akaashi needs to hear it, and even longer.

 _“I love you too,”_ Akaashi murmurs, already falling asleep. _“Sorry for calling.”_

“No, no, I’m glad you did. Bedtime?”

_“Mm-hm. Goodnight, Koutarou.”_

“Goodnight, Keiji.”

Bokuto stays curled up in the chair so long he dozes off, thoughts filled with Akaashi, the Olympics, and two matching gold rings on their fingers.

* * *

 **Mass email recipients: all MSBY Black Jackals players and staff  
** _Twitter ban lifted. Don’t call any more attention to the issue than there already is. Be smart and tactful. I’m serious.  
_ _[...]  
_ _Signed,  
_ _Sato Akasuki  
_ _MSBY Black Jackals Head Public Relations Manager  
_ _Phone number: xxx-xxxx-xxxx_

* * *

 ** _@sunshinehinata_** ☑️ _Hinata Shoyo  
_ _Posted at 11:43 AM  
_ _Twitter do ur worst_ 😍  
 _[Attached image: Two selfies of Hinata and Kageyama. They’re both shirtless and their hair is mussed, and in the first Kageyama is hugging Hinata from the back, face half hidden by Hinata’s messy orange hair. In the second Hinata has a soft smile on his face and Kageyama is pressing a kiss to his bare shoulder.]_

 ** _@kageyama20_** ☑️ _Kageyama Tobio  
_ _Posted at 11:47 AM  
_ _So anyway this is the loml and we’ve been together for 3 years now. Talk your shit. I’m happy, he’s happy, and that’s all that matters at the end of the day.  
_ _[Quote tweet: @sunshinehinata  
_ _Twitter do ur worst_ 😍 ]

 **_@jackalsfan21_ ** _Hinata best player in V1!!  
_ _Posted at 11:48 AM  
_ _Wait… wait what……… WAIT NO NO NO HINATA NO  
_ _[Quote tweet: @sunshinehinata  
_ _Twitter do ur worst_ 😍 ]

 ** _@jackalsschedules_ ** _MSBY Jackals’ schedules  
_ _Posted at 11:52 AM  
_ _Is he just jumping on the bandwagon? Is this a fun thing for them to do now? Are they just messing around??? I’m so confused._

 ** _@sunshinehinata_** ☑️ _Hinata Shoyo  
_ _Posted at 12:31 PM  
_ _@jackalsfan21 bro what did i say about having my name and number in your user GET THEM OUT. OUT. OUTTTTTTTT_

* * *

 ** _@sakusaomi_** ☑️ _Sakusa Kiyoomi  
_ _Posted at 1:05 PM  
_ _Please keep calling us out. We’ll just keep outing ourselves.  
_ _[Attached image: a selfie of Sakusa and Atsumu on the couch. Atsumu is leaning against Sakusa’s shoulder, arm looped around his neck, faces pressed together with Atsumu sticking his tongue out at the camera teasingly and Sakusa smiling smugly.]_

 ** _@atsumu4u_** ☑️ _Miya Atsumu  
_ _Posted at 1:19 PM  
_ _OMIIIIIIII I LOVE YOU /cries  
_ _[Quote tweet: @sakusaomi  
_ _Please keep calling us out. We’ll just keep outing ourselves.]_

 ** _@sakusaomi_** ☑️ _Sakusa Kiyoomi  
_ _Posted at 1:20 PM  
_ _@atsumu4u Lol I love you too_ ❤️

 ** _@atsumu4u_** ☑️ _Miya Atsumu  
_ _Posted at 1:21 PM  
_ _CRYING CRYING HE ADDED THE HEART NOOOOOO HE DOES LOVE ME OMG OMG OMG  
_ _[Quote tweet: @sakusaomi  
_ _@atsumu4u Lol I love you too_ ❤️ ]

 **_@bokutosleftasscheek_ ** _Bokuto’s personal caretaker_ 🥵 😏  
 _Posted at 1:37 PM  
_ _NO NO WHAT IS GOING ON ARE THEY SERIOUS RN I’M-  
_ _[Quote tweet: @sakusaomi  
_ _Please keep calling us out. We’ll just keep outing ourselves.]_

* * *

 **Mass email recipients: all MSBY Black Jackals players and staff  
** _Are you guys literally kidding me. What did I say. I told you what not to do and then you did it. Will you listen to me if I ask you again?  
_ _Signed,  
_ _Sato Akasuki  
_ _MSBY Black Jackals Head Public Relations Manager  
_ _Phone number: xxx-xxxx-xxxx_

 **Mass email response: Reply To All  
** _No offense, Sato-san, but no, we’re not going to listen to you. Appreciate you and all that you do, though!  
_ _[Attached image: Hinata and Kageyama embracing in the back hallways after a game last season where the Jackals played the Adlers]  
_ _\- Hinata Shoyo  
_ _Sent from my iPhone_

 **Mass email response: Reply To All  
** _Oh, are we sending more pictures?  
_ _[Attached image: Atsumu forcibly climbing on Sakusa’s back one day after practice. Sakusa looks resigned to his fate, hands hooked under Atsumu’s thighs.]  
_ _\- Miya Atsumu  
_ _Sent from my iPhone_

 **Mass email response: Reply To All  
** _Sometimes, occasionally, I really fucking love this team.  
_ _\- Meian Shugo_

 **Mass email response: Reply To All  
** _[Attached image: Iwaizumi and Bokuto mid-squat, both holding their significant others with one arm around their backs and the other under their knees, trying to out-do each other. Oikawa has an arm looped around Iwaizumi’s neck and is laughing while Akaashi has both hands over his face.]  
_ _Signed,  
_ _Iwaizumi Hajime  
_ _MSBY Black Jackals’ Head Athletic Trainer  
_ _Phone number: xxx-xxxx-xxxx_

 **Mass email response: Reply To All  
** _IWAIZUMI I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU  
_ _\- Miya Atsumu  
_ _Sent from my iPhone_

 **Mass email response: Reply To All  
** _Stop replying to all. You’re clogging up my inbox.  
_ _Signed,  
_ _Sato Akasuki  
_ _MSBY Black Jackals Head Public Relations Manager  
_ _Phone number: xxx-xxxx-xxxx_

* * *

Bokuto sends Akaashi screenshots of the email thread and of the team egging each other on and sending more pictures in their group chat, and they spend over an hour on the phone crying about how amazing their friends are.

* * *

They call daily. It’s easy, considering that Akaashi’s schedule is pretty much open while he waits for things to die down on his end. Bokuto, though, keeps with his schedule. Training six days a week, a couple meetings, and then their first game since everything happened.

He can’t lie and say that he’s not terrified.

Kuroo has told him time and again that his place on the team is secure and Bokuto believes him, given that the coach and the team aren’t treating him any differently than usual and when they were reviewing positions for the game his name was listed as a starter, as usual. This will be his first big appearance in front of a crowd, though, since everything started to fall apart.

He knows the rest of the team can see how nervous he is but they’re being very helpful with him, including him in lots of conversations to help keep his mind from wandering too far and messing around in the locker room in their usual pre-game way.

Hinata, Atsumu and Sakusa are all acting like their usual selves, with Hinata and Atsumu running around the locker room teasing each other and making jokes and disrupting Sakusa’s rigid pre-game routine, but the closer they get to game time the more somber the team gets.

Meian calls them into a huddle before the coaching staff comes in to take them to the court, and before he starts he takes a deep breath.

“Tonight’s gonna be rough,” he says finally. He glances at Bokuto, to Atsumu on Bokuto’s right, Sakusa beside him, and then Hinata on Bokuto’s left. “But we all know that. We’re all ready for it. I want you guys to focus. Go out there and do your thing. You’ve got this. All of you.” Meian smiles. “I believe in you, and I’m proud of you all. You’re so strong and so brave. Let’s get out there and fuck shit up.”

The team shouts in agreement, and even Bokuto smiles and cheers with the rest of them, and then the coach comes in to wave them into the hallway.

Iwaizumi walks by with some of the assistants and the medical staff, pausing to clap Bokuto on the shoulder with an encouraging smile before heading out onto the court, and then the coach heads out, and a minute later they start announcing the team.

The first thing Bokuto notices from the hallway is that the crowd seems quieter, but he figures that’s to be expected.

It feels like forever and no time at all before his name is announced, and Hinata and Atsumu give him high fives as he jogs passed and through the doors, into the stadium.

He high fives the coaches the way he usually does and then runs onto the court, and realizes why it’s so quiet.

Normally the stadium has sections split, one large side for the home team, the Jackals, and the rest for the visiting team. The Jackals tend to take up most of the stadium as it’s their city, so it’s easy for the fans to gather for games and they consistently have a good turnout, at least two-thirds their own fans.

Today, however, only about half the stadium, if even that, is decked proudly in Jackals’ colors and gear, and the purple of the opposing team is overwhelming despite the multiple hours’ drive away their home city is. On top of that, the fans are more mixed than usual, with whole sections that usually belong to the Jackals’ fans filled with purple rather than white and gold.

Bokuto is somehow both over- and under-whelmed with what he sees, but Meian grabs his attention with a smile and a wave, and Bokuto joins the rest of the team where they’re gathered in the middle of their starting side of the court. Meian throws an arm over his shoulder without losing his smile and says “breathe” under his breath, and Bokuto takes what he then realizes is the first breath since he entered the main stadium.

The rest of the team joins them, with neither Hinata nor Atsumu as animated as they usually are after their entrance, and even Sakusa’s eyebrows are furrowed tighter than they usually are seconds before a game.

“It doesn’t matter,” Meian reminds them before the starters head onto the court--one last group huddle before the pressure of the game really kicks off. “None of this shit matters. Do your thing.”

They win, which is completely expected, but the mood of the stadium remains somewhat somber despite the continued cheering from the fans wearing their colors, but the celebrations by their staff more than makes up for it as the team is shepherded down the hall and towards the interview room.

Bokuto freezes.

_The interview room._

“Shit,” he whispers, and he takes a step back. _“Shit.”_

“Bokuto?” Inunaki takes a step towards him, a hand out. “Hey, what are you-”

“I got him,” Iwaizumi comes up beside him with a hand on Bokuto’s arm, waving Inunaki forward. “Go. Tell Sato-san to give us a minute.”

Inunaki hesitates, but Iwaizumi waves him off again and Inunaki turns to follow the rest of the team. Iwaizumi pulls Bokuto towards the wall and presses his back against it, hands firm on his shoulders.

“Breathe.”

Bokuto takes a shaky breath, but it’s not enough.

Iwaizumi’s hands keep him steady against the wall.

“Look at me. Again.”

Bokuto focuses on Iwaizumi’s eyes and takes another breath, a bit deeper this time.

“Good,” Iwaizumi’s hands squeeze his shoulders, “again.”

Iwaizumi keeps Bokuto locked against the wall until his breathing is completely normal, breathing with him.

“You know what you’re gonna say?”

Bokuto nods. They all know the questions are going to be coming, and he had a long talk with his agent, Akaashi, and Akaashi’s manager about what to say. He knows how to go into this, he’s just scared.

Fucking terrified. He can’t escape from it when everyone’s going to be right in front of him, staring at him-

Iwaizumi’s hands squeeze his shoulders again. “You’ve got this. We’re all right behind you.” Once Bokuto nods in agreement Iwaizumi steps back and they walk to the rest of the team. The PR manager looks at Bokuto and gives him an encouraging smile and then opens the door, waving everyone in.

The camera flashes are blinding, like usual, and Bokuto takes his normal seat between Hinata and Atsumu, folding his hands on the table and squeezing.

 _Okay. Okay_.

Sato calls out how much time the press will have and then steps off the stage, and Bokuto feels every eye swivel right to him. Everyone starts calling out their questions and Bokuto tries not to flinch with how much his name is called. Hinata tenses beside him as Meian calls on the first reporter, a man in the front row, right in the middle.

“Bokuto-san, what do you have to say in regards of the allegations of you being gay and those pictures that surfaced online of you and that model?”

_It’s happening._

“Akaashi,” Bokuto says first. “He’s not _some model_ , his name is Akaashi Keiji…” he takes a deep breath, “and he’s my boyfriend. Those pictures-”

He’s cut off as the volume in the room rises again, reporters yelling his name and more questions and half the team starts yelling too, for the reporters to _shut up, let him speak, you wanted a statement so bad let him give it._ It takes Meian standing up and yelling for everyone to be quiet or they’ll end the conference early for order to be restored.

Hinata gives Bokuto a small smile and a nod and Bokuto takes a deep breath to center himself and get his thoughts back before speaking again.

“First of all, those pictures were taken and released without our consent, and our teams are working to take legal action against those who spread them as well as those who are being particularly malicious online with us and our friends and teammates who have openly supported us.”

Bokuto sits up straighter and squares his shoulders, in his interview zone now.

“Second of all, yeah. We’re gay, and we’re out now. Here’s the thing, though--that wasn’t anyone’s decision but ours to make. That decision was taken from us and I hope no one else who’s in a similar position has this happen to them, because it fucking sucks. It’s not fair. No one but people who aren’t straight understand that, and it’s 2020. It’s time for people to _start_ understanding that, and start respecting _everyone._ So, yeah. We’re dating. We’re both gay. Very gay. I’ve been gay since high school. People are gay. Get over it.”

Bokuto sits back in his chair and crosses his arms. “I’m not saying anything else about this.”

He clenches his jaw and grips his own biceps, trying to quell the rage that had stirred up in him during his statement. He can still feel the anger boiling under his skin and he wants to say more, wants to rip into the people who have been threatening him and Keiji, and their friends before half of them came out, too, tell them how horrible they are and how much their words have hurt so many people, hurt his own mother who called him in tears, fearing for her son’s safety.

But he doesn’t. He’s said the piece they agreed on, and he promised to say no more, so he won’t.

On his left Atsumu drapes himself over Sakusa, who looks down at him with his lips curled in mild disgust.

 _“Please_ ask me a question. I really want to talk about how sexy my boyfriend looked on the court today.”

Hinata speaks up, asking “did anyone see the results of the Adlers’ game tonight?” with a smug smile and Bokuto laughs once, loud and sharp.

He sees their poor PR manager off to the side of the stage, her head in her hands and shaking her head, but Iwaizumi is watching beside her with a smile, arms crossed. He meets Bokuto’s eyes and gives him a nod, and Bokuto nods back before returning his attention to the endless camera flashes as Meian fields the questions and Hinata and Atsumu brag about their boyfriends every chance they get.

Atsumu looks like he might cry when Sakusa takes his hand and holds it on top of the table for everyone to see.

* * *

 **_Trending Topics on Twitter: Celebrities  
_** _#bokuakasupport  
_ _#getoverit_

* * *

 ** _@sunasunasuna_** ☑️ _Suna Rintarou  
_ _Posted at 9:51 PM  
_ _Since gay is trending again, here’s me and my boyfriend doing boyfriend things_ 💖  
 _[Attached image: Suna with Osamu in the kitchen of Osamu’s restaurant. Osamu wears his uniform shirt and apron, but Suna has stolen his hat and wears it backwards as he kisses Osamu’s cheek. He hugs him from the back and Osamu holds his hands, smiling as they shape an onigiri together.]_

 ** _@akasunaftw_ ** _....?  
_ _Posted at 9:53 PM  
_ _WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ONNNNN NOT SUNA NOT SUNA PLEASE GOD NOT SUNA  
_ _[Quote tweet: @sunasunasuna  
_ _Since gay is trending again, here’s me and my boyfriend doing boyfriend things_ 💖 _]_

 **_@OnigiriMiya_ ** _Miya Osamu (Onigiri Miya: New Tokyo Location Now Open!)  
_ _Posted at 9:56 PM  
_ _#bisexualrights  
_ _[Quote tweet: @sunasunasuna  
_ _Since gay is trending again, here’s me and my boyfriend doing boyfriend things_ 💖 _]_

 **_@madddddog_ ** _Kyoutani Kentarou  
_ _Posted at 10:37 PM  
_ _There’s as many not straight people in V league as there are bowls in the fucking kitchen. Get the fuck over it. I’m fucking tired. And pansexual as hell. COME AT ME BRO I DARE YOU_

 **_@softboyyams_ ** _Yamaguchi Tadashi  
_ _Posted at 11:01 PM  
_ _It’s 2020 and the gays still have the straights terrified??? We love to see it_ 💝  
 _[Attached image: Yamaguchi in Tsukishima’s lap with Tsukishima’s arms around his waist, smiling at the camera while Tsukishima kisses his neck.]_

 **_@tsukkishimakei_ ** _Tsukishima Kei  
_ _Posted at 11:22 PM  
_ _We had a better coming out post @sunshinehinata  
_ _[Quote tweet: @softboyyams  
_ _It’s 2020 and gay people still have the straight terrified??? We love to see it_ 💝 _]_

 **_@sunshinehinata_ ** ☑️ **** _Hinata Shoyo  
_ _Posted at 11:24 PM  
_ _@tsukkishimakei why do you always do this_

 ** _@tsukkishimakei_ ** _Tsukishima Kei  
_ _Posted at 11:38 PM  
_ _@sunshinehinata because it’s so easy to piss you off lol_

* * *

 ** _@thelevhaiba_** ☑️ _Haiba Lev  
_ _Posted at 11:38 PM  
_ _Location: Moscow, Russia  
_ _brooooooo what is going ON_

 **_@yakumorisuke_ ** _Yaku Morisuke  
_ _Posted at 11:41 PM  
_ _Location: Moscow, Russia  
_ _@thelevhaiba babe just let it happen_

 **_@kurootetsurouu_ ** _Kuroo Tetsurou  
_ _Posted at 11:45 PM  
_ _@yakumorisuke @thelevhaiba BABE??????????_

* * *

 ** _@ushijimawakatoshi_** ☑️ _Ushijima Wakatoshi  
_ _Posted at 10:17 AM  
_ _I am proud to be out as pansexual, and I am now introducing you all to my lovely fiance, Tendou Satori @chocolatiertendou, whom I love very much.  
_ _[Attached image: Ushijima and Tendou, standing together with their arms around each other and smiling at the camera in front of the sign of Tendou’s pastry shop which opened earlier this year, located on the same block as Onigiri Miya.]_

 **_@polipolipoli_ ** _Certified Mom Friend™  
_ _Posted at 10:23 AM  
_ _FINALLY. FINALLY WE KNOW WHO HE IS. MR WAKATOSHI SIR I AM IN LOVE WITH YOUR FIANCE HE IS AN ABSOLUTE LEGEND  
_ _[Quote tweet: @ushijimawakatoshi  
_ _I am proud to be out as pansexual, and I am now introducing you all to my lovely fiance, Tendou Satori @chocolatiertendou, whom I love very much.]_

 ** _@ushijimawakatoshi_** ☑️ _Ushijima Wakatoshi  
_ _Posted at 10:47 AM  
_ _@polipolipoli I am in love with him as well. He deserves lots of love._

 **_@chocolatiertendou_ ** _Tendou Satori  
_ _Posted at 10:52 AM  
_ _BABBYYYYYYYY_ 🥺 🥺 🥺 🥺 🥺  
 _[Quote tweet: @ushijimawakatoshi  
_ _@polipolipoli I am in love with him as well. He deserves lots of love.]_

 **_@chocolatiertendou_ ** _Tendou Satori  
_ _Posted at 10:52 AM  
_ _@polipolipoli wait you know who i am-_

 **_@bitchboyoikawa_ ** _.  
_ _Posted at 10:55 AM  
_ _@chocolatiertendou dude are you kidding you and @boombxtch are blowing up on twitter because you’re so damn funny and you’re shutting everyone down who’s spewing hate and you’re my personal hero_

 **_@chocolatiertendou_ ** _Tendou Satori  
_ _Posted at 11:03 AM  
_ _@bitchboyoikawa @boombxtch BRO REALLY ARE YOU SERIOUS so that’s where all those new followers came from OH MY GOD-_

 **_@boombxtch_ ** _Nishinoya Yuu  
_ _Posted at 11:05 AM  
_ _FINALLY. MY TRUE PURPOSE IN LIFE HAS BEEN SET IN STONE. SHUTTING DOWN HOMOPHOBES AND GETTING FAMOUS FOR IT. MY FINAL FORM HAS BEEN ACHIEVED._

* * *

Eventually, just as everyone said, things do settle down. The X’ile and MSBY legal teams tracked down the person who took the photos and first sold them to Friday, the death threats were stopped when it came out that those sending them were getting fined and forced to face disciplinary consequences, and the hate comments decreased tremendously. They didn’t stop completely, but Bokuto and Akaashi started to feel safer.

Both of their social media accounts, though, remained silent. Neither of them posted anything since the incident, despite both of them making multiple public statements and getting on with their lives once again.

Twitter just felt wrong, to Akaashi. Unsafe. It’s where everything started, and since he stopped religiously checking the app to keep tabs on how bad everything was he’s felt too secure to open it back up again. 

Like if he tries, life will screw him over and everything will come tumbling down all over again.

“Hey, Kou?”

Bokuto glances back at Akaashi, who’s sitting at the kitchen counter with a mug of coffee in front of him, with a small smile, shifting the spatula in his hand as he goes to flip the omelet in the pan. “Yes, baby?”

“You’re happy, right?”

Bokuto hums, expertly flipping the omelet and letting out a victorious shout before settling back down. “Of course I am. Are you?”

“Well, yes,” Akaashi curls his hands around the mug and watches Bokuto work. They’re relaxing in his apartment after a busy week for both of them, and Bokuto spent the night last night, giving them both the pleasantness of being completely fucked out _and_ the joy of waking up in each other’s arms. “But like… after everything.” They’ve yet to name the incident directly. “You know. You’re okay? Happy?”

Bokuto’s back muscles flex, on full display as all he chose to don this morning was a pair of loose, low sweatpants, as he picks up the pan to shift the omelet onto a plate. Akaashi props his chin on his hand, watching Bokuto work.

“I’m good now, yeah. Great, even. I feel so much better now that it’s all blown over.” He doesn’t stop working as he talks. “The questions in the interviews have died down a lot, and I know Twitter has chilled out, too. We’re old news, now, which means we’re free. Well, sort of.”

It’s been three months.

“Yeah.”

They’re up early, and the sun is just starting to come up, shining through the angled windows behind Bokuto and giving him this ethereal sort of glow as he makes them breakfast.

Akaashi pulls out his phone.

“You haven’t posted anything since, have you?”

“No.” Bokuto still doesn’t turn around, focused on the second omelet for himself. “Have you?”

“I think I’m about to.”

“Oh?” Bokuto glances over his shoulder again and that’s it, that’s the shot, and Akaashi captures it. Bokuto raises an eyebrow. “Gonna post that one?”

Akaashi opens the picture and smiles as he looks at it. The softness in Bokuto’s eyes that he gets when he looks at Akaashi comes through the phone screen, and Akaashi smiles up at him.

“Is that okay?”

“I need one too, then. Gotta make it epic.” Bokuto grabs his phone off the counter and dips one finger in the top of Akaashi’s latte, scooping up foam, and Akaashi’s eyes widen as he realizes exactly what Bokuto’s about to do.

“Don’t--Koutarou, don’t you dare, _Kou-”_

* * *

 **_@akaashikeiji_ ** ☑️ _Akaashi Keiji  
_ _Posted at 7:23 AM  
_ _I’m never going to stop loving you_ ☀️ 💖  
 _[Attached image: Bokuto, shirtless in his kitchen, cooking breakfast as the sun comes up behind him, looking at Akaashi over his shoulder with a fond, warm smile on his face.]_

 **_@bokutobeam_ ** ☑️ _Bokuto Koutarou  
_ _Posted at 7:25 AM  
_ _I’m so in love with you that no combination of the 500,000 Japanese words could ever convey exactly how much.  
_ _[Attached image: Akaashi leaning back in his counter stool, latte foam smudged on his nose and his cheek, head back, eyes closed, laughing. The early morning sun makes his face seem to glow.]_

* * *

Akaashi goes to his first Jackals’ game four months after they were outed. Just like every other game, he sits in the VIP section right on the court and right under the executive box with Oikawa, Suna, Osamu, Suga, another one of the models at X’ile, along with his husband, Daichi, and Tanaka and Kiyoko, Suga and Daichi’s friends from high school. Kenma is with them, too, and Kuroo came down for a moment from the executive box to say hi to him, along with everyone else--including Daichi, which Akaashi figures there’s some sort of history there with the way Suga and Kenma are trying not to laugh, but he’s too focused on being back at a game to care at the moment. He can ask Suga later.

As usual, the stadium is packed with Jackals’ fans, taking up almost every single seat.

Osamu and Suna sit side by side, and Suna has one hand on Osamu’s thigh while Osamu has his arm draped over the back of Suna’s seat as they talk to Tanaka and Kiyoko.

The stadium is buzzing with pre-game jitters from the crowd, and Akaashi feels high off of that mixed with the fact that he’s wearing Bokuto’s merch hoodie--one of the original ones that was sent to his house all those months ago. They finally went into major production and sold well despite the scandal, and Akaashi has seen tons of other ones in the crowd tonight, worn by everyone from elders to toddlers.

The team is announced, and every member is welcomed to the court with a roar from the crowd.

Bokuto smiles and waves as he enters, but he pauses facing the VIP section and places his hand over his heart, sending a different smile in that direction. Akaashi rolls his eyes but waves back anyway, and he hears Kuroo wolf whistle from the box above. 

Kenma groans and hides his face in his hands. “I fucking hate him.”

Their opponents are announced next, and each member of the Schweiden Adlers runs onto the court with smiles and waves. Ushijima waves, as stoic and polite as ever, and Akaashi _swears_ he can hear a loud, high voice yelling about _sexy, Wakatoshi-kun,_ but he decides to just let it be and not question it. Hinata playfully boos as Kageyama runs past him on the court and Kageyama makes a face at him.

The mood in the stadium is light and playful as the teams play, and the Jackals pull ahead and claim a narrow win in the final set.

The stadium erupts in cheers as the final whistle blows and the whole team falls over each other on the court, piling together in celebration. They separate after a minute of head ruffles and excited yelling, voices lost in the crowd, and Akaashi catches Bokuto’s smile right at him.

He’s in love. He’s so, so in love with him-

Akaashi’s out of his seat a second later and Bokuto ducks under the net and runs up to meet him at the rail.

Bokuto’s hands curve around the railing and he smiles up at Akaashi, who’s a few centimeters taller than him, for once.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” Akaashi cups Bokuto’s cheeks and runs a hand through his hair, not even flinching at how wet it is with sweat. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Bokuto laughs, riding the euphoric post-win high.

“Kou.”

“Hm?” Bokuto leans his head back in Akaashi’s hands.

“Can I kiss you?”

Bokuto’s smile softens. “Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that.”

Akaashi leans down, and he hesitates for a just, if even that, and then Bokuto pushes up on his toes and uses his grip on the railing to raise himself enough to close the distance between them.

Somehow the cheers seem to get louder around them, and Akaashi recognizes their friends screaming in the back of his head, but he can’t really bring himself to care.

Bokuto pulls away enough to whisper “get your ass down here,” and Akaashi props one foot on the railing and hops over. Bokuto grabs his hips and helps him down, and then he’s holding him close as he kisses him again.

 _“Kei-chan! Holy shit!”_ Oikawa yells somewhere in the back, and Akaashi hears Kuroo yell _“Get some!”_ further away but he pretends he doesn’t hear anything, holding Bokuto’s damp jersey and kissing him.

Given where the last set was played, they’re closer to the visiting team’s side than their own, and they break apart as they hear a loud _“Wakatoshi-kuuuun!”_ and a streak of red hair in a white Adlers hoodie runs past them before launching into Ushijima’s arms. Ushijima catches the whirlwind with practiced ease and sets him gently on his feet before kissing him.

“That must be Tendou,” Akaashi notes. Bokuto laughs again, holding him close.

“I would hope so.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Akaashi sees Hinata give Kageyama a hug. On the other side of the net, Sakusa wraps his arm around Atsumu’s waist and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek before detaching and walking over to the coaches. Atsumu stands there for a minute, stunned, before pumping his fist in the air and then running after his boyfriend, yelling “Omi!” over and over as he’s dutifully ignored.

Behind them, Iwaizumi has approached the railing and Oikawa leans over it, talking to him with a soft smile. Iwaizumi rests a hand over Oikawa’s on the railing and they start to lean in, but Akaashi doesn’t see more because Bokuto catches his chin and turns his head so he can kiss him again. 

Under the bright lights of the stadium, surrounded by thousands of strangers Bokuto holds him proudly, out in the open, but not exposed. Not vulnerable. Not the way Akaashi felt back when his whole world was ripped to shreds right in front of him.

Safe. Confident. Strong.

Akaashi kisses Bokuto again. And again. And again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didn't think through the texts and the tweets formatting them is a BITCH omg


	3. Divulgence

“Are we starting? Are we… yeah? Okay. Okay, cool! Hi, guys! I’m Bokuto Koutarou, and I-- oh, no, oh gods you’re so cute-”

“Kou.”

“Right, right, sorry.” Bokuto takes a deep breath to compose himself, but immediately breaks down again when the puppy starts gnawing on his finger. _“Keiji,”_ he whispers in awe. “Keiji, _look.”_

Akaashi sighs and shakes his head. The puppy in his lap is relaxed, dozing off as he runs his thumb back and forth along her forehead. “I see them. Kou. Start again?”

The staff behind the camera laugh as Akaashi gets Bokuto back on track for the third time since the interview was supposed to start--they haven’t made it past intros yet.

“Okay, okay. I’m here. I’m present. I’m doing the thing.”

“Yes, you are.” Akaashi nods and eyes Bokuto as he starts the intro. Again. “You’re not going to get any answers out of him about anything, you know. Not like this.”

 _“So cute!_ Okay, okay, no, sorry, I’m sorry, okay.” Bokuto takes a deep breath and then smiles at the camera. “Hi, everyone! For those of you who don’t know, my name is Bokuto Koutarou, and I’m a wing spiker for the Black Jackals.”

“Hi,” Akaashi raises his free hand and waves at the camera. “I’m Akaashi Keiji, and I’m a model with X’ile Modeling.”

“So, today we’re going to be answering fan questions that were submitted using the hashtag ‘askbokuaka’ on Twitter while our two stars play with puppies!” The production director behind the camera says with a smile.

“I’m going to die today,” Bokuto whispers fervently as two more puppies pile into his lap. “This is it for me, Keiji.”

“What an honorable way to go,” Akaashi says with a laugh.

The director gives them a minute to get settled with the puppies and then she starts right into the questions, intro finally out of the way.

“How do you two deal with the odd hours? It seems like a long distance relationship between the two of you, given Akaashi’s job and Bokuto’s intense training hours. How do you guys find time to hang out?”

“It’s definitely hard, sometimes,” Akaashi speaks up first. “And, yeah, even if we both live in Tokyo it feels like we go weeks without seeing each other just because of how busy we are. It kind of sucks.”

“It _really_ sucks,” Bokuto adds. “But it’s all about the effort when we _are_ together. When we have time off we’re hardly ever apart.”

Akaashi nods beside him and then bends over, pursing his lips and letting one of the puppies lick his chin.

Bokuto watches him with a laugh. “And--and when we’re not together, a lot of it is just about keeping in touch.”

“It’s hard sometimes, because a lot of my travels take me out of the Japanese timezone, but we do what we can.” Akaashi finishes, and the two share a smile before the director asks the next question.

“Akaashi-san, how do you deal with Bokuto-san when he’s with Atsumu-san and Hinata-san? Their interviews together look insane, is that all a show or are they really like that?”

“No, no, they’re really like that. All the time. At four in the morning, even.”

Bokuto ducks his head bashfully and gets distracted playing with a puppy. Akaashi glances at him sharply before shaking the expression off his face and looking back at the camera.

“But it’s really fun, overall. They’re always getting into something, and you’re never bored. They’re crazy. Insane.”

“But you love me.”

“I love you, yes.” They share another set of fond smiles before returning their attention to the camera. One of the puppies stumbles over Bokuto’s criss-crossed legs and rolls onto the floor before popping back up and jumping right back into his lap.

_“Oh my gods.”_

“Akaashi-san, follow up question. Are you good friends with anyone on the team?”

“Oh, yeah, everyone. The whole team is pretty close, and I go to a lot of games and have been to events and stuff, so I know them all pretty well now. I think I’m definitely closest to Sakusa, though, because we’re both dragged along by Bokuto and Atsumu and Hinata when they’re up to stuff, so we usually just hang back and relax and watch the chaos unfold from a safe distance.”

The staff behind the camera all laugh, and the puppies perk up at the sudden change in volume.

“Bokuto-san, what’s it like dating a model? Do you get into shows?”

“Uh, sometimes.” Bokuto laughs. “Like we said, both of our schedules keep us pretty busy, so if Keiji’s doing a show in another country I never have the chance to see those live. I’ve gotten to see a few here in Tokyo, though, and they’ve all been fun. I try to at least tune into all of his big ones. He did this collab with Azumane Asahi, if you’ve heard of him, and the show was in Milan before they came home and did it again in Tokyo. I streamed the first one online and then got to see the second one in person.”

Akaashi doesn’t answer at all, too distracted by the golden retriever puppy still dozing off in his lap.

“What’s one of your favorite things to do together when you both have time off?”

“Sleep,” Akaashi and Bokuto answer at the same time, laughing.

“I love my job, but man it’s exhausting.”

Akaashi nods. “Like I said, I travel a lot. You never get used to jet lag, I’ll tell you that.”

“Otherwise, though, we visit lots of museums. Keiji likes art exhibits, so whenever a new one comes around we try to go together.”

“Or flea markets,” Akaashi says with a snap of his fingers. One of the puppies jumps at his hands and Akaashi dutifully pets him. “Bokuto likes walking around, and there’s always so many people it’s easy for us to, uh, shed our celebrity status and just be a part of the crowd, you know?”

Bokuto nods. “Oh, yeah, those are so fun. Aren’t they?” He looks down at the puppy in his lap and leans close. “Yes they are, yes they are.”

Akaashi pinches the bridge of his nose and snorts.

“Okay, this one’s a bit different. How have your lives changed in the three years since you were outed.”

Akaashi and Bokuto go quiet for a second.

“Well, we got married,” Bokuto says with a shrug, showing off his wedding ring to the camera. Akaashi mirrors his movement. “That was kinda cool.”

“‘Kinda?’” Akaashi looks at Bokuto.

“Kinda… _super_ cool?”

“Are you asking me or telling me?”

“Stop it.”

Akaashi laughs and looks away from Bokuto, composing himself. Bokuto busies himself with one of the puppies.

“In all seriousness, it’s changed a lot. Not so much now as it did in the beginning, but we’ve been able to be more open on our accounts about our relationship now. It’s really…”

“Freeing?” Bokuto offers.

Akaashi nods his head. “Yeah, freeing. And we lost a lot of fans and support when it happened, I lost campaigns and Bokuto, the whole team, really, lost sponsors, but at the end of the day we don’t want support from people who don’t support us as people, so it ended up being a win.”

“We lost our athletic gear sponsor, but we got a new one pretty quick,” Bokuto supplies. “And Asahi--Azumane, the one I mentioned Akaashi working with once, he ended up designing our new uniforms. I think they’re great. He’s gay, too, and his boyfriend is bi.”

“Nishinoya made quite the stir when we were first outed.”

“Oh, yeah!” Bokuto laughs. “Him and Ushijima’s husband, Tendou. Gods, they were funny.”

They pause for a minute, but before the director can ask the next question Bokuto speaks up again.

“A lot of other people have come out, too. Not just sexuality-wise. I think that’s pretty great.”

“We get lots of messages on social media and letters from people telling us we gave them the strength to come out, and that’s so wonderful to hear. Even if we don’t respond to you,” Akaashi says to the camera, “know we’ve read every single message to us, and to anyone who’s come out, we’re so, _so_ proud of you.”

“And if you haven’t yet, that’s okay,” Bokuto says next. “This isn’t something on you to rush. There’s no timeline for this kind of thing. You do you. We support every single one of you, even if we have no idea who you are and you have no idea who _we_ are. We support all of you.”

They run through a few more questions and then start to wrap up the video, and Bokuto pouts and picks one of the puppies up, crading him close to his chest.

“I don’t _wanna.”_ Bokuto brightens up and faces Akaashi. “Keiji, Keiji, baby.”

Akaashi glances at Bokuto and narrows his eyes. “...What?” 

“Keiji, I want a dog.”

“Koutarou-”

“Look at them, Keiji! I want to bring one home! Please?”

“These dogs don’t belong to us, Kou.”

“But they _can!”_

“Not they, we’d get one. And no.”

“How can you say no to this face, though?” Bokuto lifts the dalmatian puppy up and mimics his pretty little eyes. “Keijiiiiiii.”

Akaashi sighs and looks at the director behind the camera. “Do you see what I’m going to have to deal with for the next two months?”

“They’re all actually up for adoption, Akaashi-san.”

“No, please don’t say that-”

 _“Keiji!”_ Bokuto perks up, and three of the puppies dive into his lap as he gasps. “Keiji, we have to! Please?”

Akaashi eyes him for a minute and accepts defeat. They all _are_ pretty cute.

“You can pick _one.”_

Bokuto gasps like Akaashi had just offended him on a personal level. “But there’s so many-”

 _“One_ , Kou. We’re both busy people. One.”

Bokuto begins looking at all the puppies very seriously, petting them and smiling and playing with them. Akaashi just watches him with a smile, and the puppy who’d spent most of the interview in his lap napping comes trotting back over.

“Hey, you.” Akaashi bends over and gives her a kiss on the head.

“That one.” Akaashi looks up to see Bokuto looking at him and the golden retriever with a smile. Bokuto’s eyes hold an unbelievable amount of love behind them, glassy and beautiful. “We’ll take her.”

* * *

 **_@bokutobeam_ ** ☑️ _Bokuto Koutarou_

_Posted at 3:47 PM_

_Everyone, meet Opal. You’ll find out her adoption story very, very soon. Along with some other fun little life tidbits._

_[Attached image: Akaashi cradling a golden retriever puppy in his arms, smiling down at her in some sort of white studio.]_

**Author's Note:**

> me: i’m going to have this posted by thanksgiving  
> my girlfriend, on thanksgiving: did u finish the fic yet  
> me: teehee. teehee teehee.
> 
> but it's finally done!! this fic was def a labor of love for me and i'm so happy to be in the haikyuu fandom now. i've read so many amazing fics and met lots of amazing people so i just wanted to join in and add my own bit to it. first fic in this fandom ahhh i'm so nervous, but i really love how this turned out so here it is!! i hope you enjoyed!!
> 
> find me on twitter @emberloey


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